XR-Aware Next Generation Networks

The fast-paced evolution of extended reality (XR) devices and technologies promises to provide immersive interactions between digital and physical worlds as a commodity by the end of the next decade. Delivering high-end XR experiences at scale with high data rates, low latency, and high energy efficiency is a significant ecosystem challenge comparable to the invention of the smartphone. Next generation networks need to be aware of XR services and cater to their service requirements across all layers. This work is a tutorial on XR-aware cross-layer design and the main technical enablers for radio resource allocation with XR and delay awareness, based on the latest 5G release, that is, Release 18. The article further presents an analysis of achievable system capacity gains derived by system-level simulations, and concludes with further research directions for next generation networks.