| KPI | Description | Possible Values |
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| DL E2E Packet Latency | The total time consumed for a data packet to transit from the source (usually a server or central network node) to the destination (usually a client device) during a downlink transmission. |
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| UL E2E Packet Latency | The total time taken for a data packet to travel from the source (usually a client device) to the destination (usually a central network node) during an uplink transmission. |
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| E2E Packet Jitter | The variation in latency within a flow of packets transmitted end-to-end across a network from a source to a destination endpoint (e.g., between a web client and server). |
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| DL User Experience Data Rate (Mbps) |
The DL User Experience Data rate refers to the data rate or throughput experienced by a user in the downlink direction of a wireless communication network. DL UE Data Rate is an essential metric in evaluating the performance of wireless networks, particularly in assessing the quality of user experience. The minimum data rate required to achieve a sufficient quality experience for an application to function correctly, except for the scenario for broadcast-like services, where the given value is the maximum needed. ”Data rate” refers to the data volume V that is transmitted within a given duration T. With V measured in bits and T in seconds the data rate D = V/T is a quantity measured in “bits per second." |
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| UL User Experience Data Rate (Mbps) |
The UL User Experience Data rate refers to the data rate or throughput experienced by a user in the uplink direction of a wireless communication network. The UL User Experience Data Rate is an important metric in evaluating the performance of wireless networks, especially in assessing the quality of user experience during activities that involve uploading data. The minimum data rate required to achieve a sufficient quality experience for an application to function correctly, except for the scenario for broadcast-like services, where the given value is the maximum needed. ”Data rate” refers to the data volume V that is transmitted within a given duration T. With V measured in bits and T in seconds the data rate D = V/T is a quantity measured in “bits per second." |
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| Communication Service Availability |
Availability, from an applications perspective, refers to the assured probability that applications utilizing 6G networks will have uninterrupted access to the necessary network, compute, storage and services, ensuring a seamless, efficient, and reliable user experience even under conditions of high demand or mobility Communication service availability: percentage value of the amount of time the end-to-end communication service is delivered according to a specified QoS, divided by the amount of time the system is expected to deliver the end-to-end service. |
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| Guaranteed Bit Rate | In 3GPP, the two resource types GBR and delay critical GBR determine if dedicated network resources related to a service or bearer level GBR value are permanently allocated. The delay critical GBR is used for low latency and high-reliability requirements based on URLLC (ultra reliability low latency communications). Alarms and alerts from IoT devices that are sensing physical and kinetic events often have high priority. Endpoint devices and/ or IoT gateways can decide on QoS requirements based on contextual information (time of day, volumes, environmental conditions (rain, snow, earthquake— etc.)). Allowing the endpoint to establish QoS requirements (e.g., priority) is supported in both IPv4 and IPv6 through a variety of packet options and packet flags, such as Type of Service (ToS) in IPv4 and Flow Control in IPv6. |
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| Criticality |
Devices can provide services in situations when failure is not an option. Three types of Criticality are listed as following: - Non-critical - Mission critical - failure by the device can jeopardize enterprise operation and cause significant loss in business and assets - Safety critical - execution failure or faulty execution by the device could result in injury or loss of human life |
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| Priority Service (NS/EP) | Public safety / Critical Communications Priority Services - Various priority services exist today to support key personnel in their critical communications during a National Security and Emergency Preparedness (NS/EP) condition. In addition to priority voice these services include priority video and data. Priority signaling/control and priority IP packet transport capabilities have been defined in standards to provide preferential treatment on communication by a service user (authorized by the Office of Emergency Communications (OEC)) for NS/EP. |
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| Service Continuity | Seamless connectivity service, service continuity is supported in scenarios where the UEs are mobile and handover(intra-/ inter-technology) occurs achieving continuous service as the UE moves in-between cells |
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| Mobility | Maximum relative speed under which the specified reliability should be achieved. |
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| Synchronization Precision | Maximum allowed time offset within a synchronization domain between the sync master and any sync device. This is also known as clock synchronicity. |
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| Connection Density | Number of devices/km² |
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| Communication Direction |
One-way - Simple Devices make one-way service requests while monitoring themselves. Devices range from home appliances and propane tanks to commercial vending machines, to devices like porta-potties and garbage cans. Data flows only outward, with “Help me!” messages like “I need to be filled”, “I need to be emptied” or “I need to be serviced because of the following diagnostics code”. No message is sent when no servicing is needed (unless a periodic ping of existence is required). NOTE: While communication is primarily one-way, the device may have the ability to download config changes and updates to firmware, but this is done less frequently. Two-way - Interactive devices with two-way communication of data. For example, a connected smoke detector must deliver a smoke alarm with absolute certainty. Need network to provide acknowledgments of a received message to enable better fault management and the required level of reliability. |
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| Common Communication Mode |
Common Communication mode - excludes Operational maintenance communication such as firmware updates and configuration changes. Unicast - "one-to-one" communication that passes from a single source to a single receiver or destination. Multicast - “one-to-many” technique which sends information from a single source to as many destinations as express a specific interest in receiving it. Broadcast - “one-to-all” communication technique which ensures that all the nodes on a network receive the same information. |
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| Data Reporting Mode |
Time Driven - where machines periodically turn on their sensors and transmitters to transmit the collected data Query Driven - where devices reply to certain instructions from application servers by transmitting data Event Driven - where devices react to certain critical query or event Continuous-based - where devices send their data continuously to the remote server at a pre-specified rate Hybrid-driven - combination of the aforementioned types |
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| Device Type and Form Factor |
Module is meant as low-cost high-volume unit. Modem can be multi-RAT and as capable as Smartphone but no need for display. Small Non-Display modules: modems, modules for sensors/IoT, modules for lightweight wearables (e.g., earbuds, devices embedded in our clothing, skin patches, and bio-implants), Hand-held display units: e.g., Smartphones, Tablets, CPE, and Wearable display units, HDU, HMD e.g. Google glasses, AR/VR glasses |
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| Device Ownership |
Determines who holds the legal title to the device and can determine when the device is replaced, upgraded, etc. This ownership can be claimed by: Device user Service Provider (device comes as part of service); may also be an agent for SP (e.g., for leased devices) Third-party (e.g., user’s employer) |
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| Device Integration |
Describes how the communications capability is integrated into the device etc. - Standalone (device in which “radio modem” is not removable/swappable and where the device may have no value without communications – e.g., alarm sensor). - Integrated (device in which communications is a small part of the device and/or where a device can provide considerable value without communications - e.g., vending machine) - Modular (“radio modem” of a device can be swapped out by the user or local service tech to allow change of communications capabilities – e.g., vehicle telematics). |
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| Device Lifespan | Some standalone consumer products may have a relatively short lifespan (2-4 years) whereas infrastructure, automotive, domestic appliance applications need to have stable support for more than a decade (or even longer). This will drive support requirements on the network |
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| Device Power Constraints | Devices that are power constrained use battery technologies or they can use some techniques for taking power(harvest) from their environment using other devices and/or thermal dissipation limits of the form factor. |
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| DL E2E Packet Reliability | Probability that a packet is successfully delivered across the network from the source to the destination within a specified time constraint |
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| UL E2E Packet Reliability | The loss rate of packets transmitted end-to-end across a network in the uplink direction (e.g., from a web client to a web server). |
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| Survival Time | The time that an application consuming a communication service may continue without an anticipated message. |
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| Connectivity Service Area |
Refers to the need or ability of the connectivity service in outdoor or indoor or both. (geographic region where service is accessible) |
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| APIs | Requires ecosystem support of network- and device-based Application Programming Interfaces |
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| Connectivity Type (BAN/PAN/WAN/LAN) |
BAN (Body Area Network) - short-range – includes in-body networks with devices such as implants and body sensors. PAN (Personal Area Network) - short-range, where distances can be measured in meters, such as a wearable fitness tracker device that communicates with an app on a cell phone over Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE). This shall include short-range, low power 6G ‘in-X’ subnetworks (X is an entity e.g., a production module, a robot, a vehicle, a house). LAN - (Local Area Network) - short- to medium-range, where distances can be up to hundreds of meters, such as home automation or sensors installed within a factory production line that communicate over WIFI with a gateway device is installed within the same building. WAN - (Wide Area Network) - long-range, where distances can be measured in kilometers |
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| Sidelink Connectivity | Refers to direct communication between devices without the need for a cellular network or base station. Sidelink enables devices within proximity to establish a direct link, allowing them to communicate independently of the cellular network infrastructure. It’s often used in scenarios where cellular coverage may be limited or unavailable, such as public safety (e.g., during natural disasters), vehicular communications (V2X, vehicle-to-everything), and other proximity-based applications that require low latency and high reliability. |
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| Sidelink Connectivity Data Rate | Represents the total amount of data that needs to be received by the receiver per unit time. It is related directly to the payload and the Tx rate and is measured in bits per second (bps). |
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| Sidelink Connectivity Latency | Maximum end-to-end latency is the maximum allowed time between the generation of a message at the transmitter’s application and the reception of the message at the receiver’s application. |
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| Position Accuracy | Describes the closeness of the measured position of the UE to its true position value. The accuracy can describe the accuracy either of an absolute position or a relative position. It can be further derived into a horizontal position accuracy—referring to the position error in a 2D reference or horizontal plane, and into a vertical position accuracy—referring to the position error on the vertical axis or altitude. |
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| Sensing Range Resolution | Describes the minimum difference in the measured magnitude of target objects (e.g. range, velocity) to be allowed to detect objects in different magnitude. |
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| Velocity Resolution | The velocity resolution of a sensor is defined as the minimum difference in velocity between targets that can be resolved as separate targets. Equivalent to Doppler resolution |
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| False Alarm (FA) |
Prob(FA) = FP / (FP + TN) False Positive (FP): True is identified as False (wrong identification) True Negative (TN): False is identified as False (correct identification) |
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| Missed Detection (MD) |
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| Update Frequency | Also called the refresh rate measured in Hz. Frequency with which data is updated depends on application scale and purpose. |
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| Edge Computing Service |
Edge computing enables applications to be localized and brings them closer to end-users to improve network transit latency, save transport costs, and localize data for security and privacy reasons. Does the application or use case need the EC service? If so, the below application needs become relevant. |
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| EC: Edge Compute Offload | Ability to migrate applications, services, and context between device, edge, and cloud compute nodes in the system |
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| EC: Edge Storage Offload | Ability to migrate the storage and caching of data between device, edge, and cloud storage nodes in the system |
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| EC: Edge Networking Offload | Ability to offload and distribute networking functions from core networks and edge networks in the system |
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| EC: Edge Application Enablement Services | Ability to extend compute, storage, and networking capabilities with value-add edge services (e.g., analytics, video, location/proximity, network exposure, inter-domain federation, service creation/advertisement/discovery, etc.) that enable application developers and users to rapidity create new 6G edge-native application and services. |
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| EC: Edge Proximity | Required level of proximity of edge resources (e.g., compute, storage, networking, services) to the endpoints using the edge resources. |
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| EC: Distributed and Autonomous Management of Edge Resources | Support for distributed and autonomous management of edge resources (e.g., compute, storage, networking, services) |
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| AI/ML Service | Ability to use the AI/ML capabilities provided at the edge or telco cloud in the system. Does the application or use case need the AI/ML service? If so, the below application needs (AIML) become relevant. |
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| AIML: Personalization | Use of AI/ML techniques to achieve higher levels of personalization and customization of network functions, services and applications in the system for users. |
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| AIML: Training Data Security | Ability to collect trustworthy AI/ML training data from distributed nodes (e.g., UEs, edge, cloud) regarding the usage of network functions, services and applications in the system without compromising user privacy, security, ownership and traceability. |
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| AIML: Service Location | Required level of proximity of trustworthy AI/ML model deployment |
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| AIML: Ownership, Traceability and Accountability | Ability to trace and audit ownership and usage of AI/ML pipeline and involved information (e.g., training data, training process, inferring process, AI/ML models) |
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| AIML: Incentivized/Distributed/Collaborative AI/ML | Ability to perform coordinated AI/ML tasks across a decentralized set of entities (e.g., UEs, edge) in the 6G system in a secure, private and trustworthy manner. |
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| Distributed Ledger Service | Services to enable the abstraction, management and use of underlying distributed ledger networks by applications |
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| Connectivity Subscription Provisioning | Some devices come pre-subscribed, others may be required to support multiple networks over their lifespan. |
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| Number of Subscriptions Supported by the Device | Number of SIM slots or number of profile spaces available in eSIM |
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| Connectivity Subscription Management | Describes which entity may manage/select the subscription to be used at any point in space/time |
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| User Interface for Device Management | Availability of local or remote UI for Device configuration, customization etc. |
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| Local Connectivity for Device Configuration and Management | Wireless LAN & PAN capabilities; Wired, Cellular Non-Public Networks (NPN) |
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| Device Configuration and Customization | Ability to update (e.g., personalize or upgrade) specific settings and services of a device before or after deployment. |
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