Near-Field Communications for 6G: Applications, Characteristics, and Deployment Strategies

To meet the demands of future 6G networks and support technological evolution, larger antenna apertures and higher frequency bands, such as millimeter waves and terahertz, are being adopted, which significantly amplify near-field propagation effects. However, due to the inherent mismatch between near-field propagation models and conventional far-field communication technologies, the performance of current far-field technologies degrades significantly in near-field regions. To address these challenges, this paper first explores representative application scenarios enabled by near-field communication (NFC). Subsequently, we analyze the transmission characteristics of NFC, including channel modeling and beam training mechanisms. Furthermore, the deployment strategies for NFC networks are discussed. Finally, we summarize key challenges and outline potential directions for future research and development.