Approaching 6G Use Case Requirements with Multicasting

The shift towards 6G networks is expected to be accompanied by an increased capability to support group-oriented services, such as extended reality and holographic communications, in many different contexts, from high-precision manufacturing to healthcare and remote control. This range of applications will rely heavily on multicast and mixed multicast-broadcast delivery modes. This article focuses on the technological perspectives of 6G multicasting, highlighting requirements, challenges, and enabling solutions. We then run a simulation campaign to test practical solutions and draw conclusive remarks for forthcoming 6G multicast systems.