6G-Ready Infrastructure and Network Design Training Course

Foundations: 6G Vision and Technical Drivers

• Emerging 6G Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and service classes, including latency, reliability, throughput, and sensing capabilities.
• Key technology enablers and anticipated timelines for deployment.
• Implications for network architecture and infrastructure requirements for government operations.

Transport Network Evolution: Fronthaul, Midhaul, Backhaul

• Requirements for ultra-low-latency transport and deterministic tunnels to support critical government applications.
• Fronthaul options such as CPRI/eCPRI, RoE, and split options, along with considerations for bandwidth scaling.
• Enhancements in optical transport and strategies for fiber densification to meet the needs of advanced networks.

Cloud-Native RAN, vRAN, and O-RAN Integration

• Principles of cloud-native network functions and containerized Radio Access Network (RAN) designs for government use.
• Design patterns for virtualized RAN (vRAN), hardware acceleration techniques, and trade-offs in disaggregation for enhanced flexibility.
• O-RAN architecture, open interfaces, and challenges associated with integration into existing government networks.

Edge & Distributed Compute Design

• Strategies for edge placement to support Multi-Access Edge Computing (MEC) and ultra-low-latency services in government environments.
• Capacity planning, resource orchestration, and multi-access edge compute implementation for efficient service delivery.
• Interworking between central cloud, edge, and on-premises resources to optimize performance and security.

Timing, Synchronization & Determinism

• Precision timing requirements for 6G use cases in government applications.
• Considerations for Precision Time Protocol (PTP), Synchronous Ethernet (SyncE), and Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) hardening strategies.
• Architectures for deterministic packet transport and redundancy to ensure reliable operations.

Spectrum, RF, and Antenna System Readiness

• Challenges in millimeter wave (mmWave) and terahertz (THz) propagation and implications for cell planning in government deployments.
• Upgrades to antenna systems, including the evolution of massive Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) and active arrays.
• Strategies for densification, backhaul provisioning, and site power/thermal management to support robust network operations for government.

Integrated Sensing and Communication Infrastructure

• Co-design of sensing-capable radios and network-aware sensing pipelines to enhance situational awareness.
• Data fusion, timing, and edge processing for real-time sensing in government applications.
• Use cases for positioning, environmental monitoring, and industrial sensing in government operations.

Network Automation, AI-Native Management & Orchestration

• Intent-based networking, closed-loop automation, and model-driven operations to streamline network management for government.
• Utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) for traffic prediction, fault detection, and resource optimization in government networks.
• Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) practices for network functions and automated validation processes to ensure reliability.

Security, Resilience & Trustworthy Infrastructure

• Threat models for highly distributed 6G topologies in government networks.
• Considerations for hardware and software supply-chain security to protect government assets.
• Strategies for operational resilience, redundancy, and disaster recovery planning to ensure continuity of government services.

Testing, Validation & Digital Twin Approaches

• Verification methodologies for latency, jitter, and throughput Service Level Agreements (SLAs) in government networks.
• Use of digital twin technology for planning, what-if analysis, and capacity forecasting to support informed decision-making for government.
• Interoperability testing with 5G legacy systems and multi-vendor stacks to ensure seamless integration for government operations.

Migration Strategies and Roadmaps

• Phased upgrade paths that include coexistence strategies to minimize disruption during the transition for government networks.
• Building a business case, cost estimation, and Return on Investment (ROI) considerations for government stakeholders.
• Planning for pilot projects, defining key performance indicators (KPIs), and engaging stakeholders to facilitate successful rollout of 6G for government.

Workshop: Design Review and Readiness Plan

• Hands-on architecture design exercise addressing a real deployment scenario in a government setting.
• Gap analysis and prioritized remediation plan to ensure infrastructure readiness for 6G in government operations.
• Presentation of the proposed roadmap and risk mitigation measures to support informed decision-making for government leaders.

Summary and Next Steps