ETSI develops Reconfigurable Intelligent Surface for 5G-6G

ETSI is developing Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces for 5G Advanced and 6G.

RIS is a new wireless technology for the control of the radio signals between a transmitter and a receiver in a dynamic and goal-oriented way. RIS can serve as a new low-cost energy-efficient deployment solution for enhancing coverage performance in 5G-Adv and future 6G systems, by intently reflecting signals to and from the end users. 

RIS corresponds to a planar surface composed of a certain arrangement of unit-cells, whose properties can be dynamically controlled to change its response in the electromagnetic domain. RIS can be controlled dynamically and/or semi-statically through control signalling such to tune the incident wireless signals through reflection, refraction, focusing, collimation, modulation, absorption or any combination of these.

RIS can be implemented using mostly passive components without requiring high-cost active components such as power amplifiers, resulting in low implementation cost and energy consumption. This allows flexible deployment of RIS, with the possibility of RIS taking any shape and to be integrated onto objects (e.g. walls, buildings, lamp posts, etc.).

https://www.etsi.org/deliver/etsi_gr/RIS/001_099/001/01.01.01_60/gr_RIS001v010101p.pdf