Universal CKM for Environment-Aware Wireless Networks: Enabling Cross-Device and Cross-Task Channel Knowledge Transfer
Abstract
Channel knowledge map (CKM) is a promising technology for environment-aware sixth-generation (6G) wireless networks. However, existing CKMs are tightly coupled with wireless devices and downstream tasks, which limit their scalability and reusability in wireless networks. To address these limitations, this article proposes the concept of universal CKM (uCKM) as a foundational wireless environment prior, which aims to enable cross-device and cross-task channel knowledge transfer for environment-aware wireless networks. We first revisit the representative CKMs and discuss their limitations. Then, the uCKM-enabled new paradigm for environment-aware wireless networks is introduced, and its benefits are highlighted from the perspectives of uCKM construction and utilization phases, for which we propose the visions of ``All for uCKM'' and ``uCKM for All'', i.e., the data acquired by all devices and tasks should contribute to the construction of uCKM, while the constructed uCKM, in turn, can be utilized to support all devices and tasks. Subsequently, we discuss the main challenges of uCKM and propose potential solutions. Last, we provide simulation results to demonstrate the feasibility and performance gains brought by uCKM and outline future research directions.
Related
- A Joint Power-Privacy Control Framework for Decentralized Learning over Heterogeneous Wireless Multicasting Networks
- Over-the-Air Federated Learning in Heterogeneous Mobile Wireless Networks
- LUNA: Luneburg-Lens-Aided Reconfigurable Array for 6G-and-Advanced Wireless Networks
- Confounding-Valid Conformal Inference for Counterfactual KPIs in Wireless Networks
- A Coupled Laplace–Bessel Approach for Transient and Steady-State Analysis of Multi-Stage Wireless Sensor Networks
BibTeX
@misc{lu2026universal,
title = {{Universal CKM for Environment-Aware Wireless Networks: Enabling Cross-Device and Cross-Task Channel Knowledge Transfer}},
author = {Haiquan Lu and Yong Zeng and Cheng-Xiang Wang and Xiqi Gao and Rui Zhang},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2608.17382},
eprint = {2608.17382},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.17382},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Universal CKM for Environment-Aware Wireless Networks: Enabling Cross-Device and Cross-Task Channel Knowledge Transfer
AU - Haiquan Lu
AU - Yong Zeng
AU - Cheng-Xiang Wang
AU - Xiqi Gao
AU - Rui Zhang
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/29
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2608.17382
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.17382
AB - Channel knowledge map (CKM) is a promising technology for environment-aware sixth-generation (6G) wireless networks. However, existing CKMs are tightly coupled with wireless devices and downstream tasks, which limit their scalability and reusability in wireless networks. To address these limitations, this article proposes the concept of universal CKM (uCKM) as a foundational wireless environment prior, which aims to enable cross-device and cross-task channel knowledge transfer for environment-aware wireless networks. We first revisit the representative CKMs and discuss their limitations. Then, the uCKM-enabled new paradigm for environment-aware wireless networks is introduced, and its benefits are highlighted from the perspectives of uCKM construction and utilization phases, for which we propose the visions of ``All for uCKM'' and ``uCKM for All'', i.e., the data acquired by all devices and tasks should contribute to the construction of uCKM, while the constructed uCKM, in turn, can be utilized to support all devices and tasks. Subsequently, we discuss the main challenges of uCKM and propose potential solutions. Last, we provide simulation results to demonstrate the feasibility and performance gains brought by uCKM and outline future research directions.
ER -