Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces for 6G Mobile Networks: An Industry R&D Perspective

The reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS) technology is a potential solution to enhance network capacity and coverage without significant investment into additional infrastructure in 6G networks. This work highlights the interest of the mobile communication industry on RIS, and discusses the development of liquid crystal-based RIS for improved energy efficiency and coverage in the millimeter-wave band. Furthermore, the paper discusses perspectives and insights from an industry R\&D point of view, addressing relevant use cases, technical requirements, implementation challenges, and practical considerations for RIS deployment optimization in the context of 6G networks.