Special Issue on Semantic Communications for 6G and Beyond

The vision for sixth-generation (6G) and beyond networks encompasses ubiquitous intelligence, immersive interaction, integrated satellite-terrestrial connectivity, low-altitude autonomy, and collaboration among intelligent agents. Delivering on this vision calls for a fundamental shift from bit-centric connectivity toward communications oriented around meaning, tasks, and intent. As networks evolve toward artificial intelligence (AI)-native architectures, conventional communication mechanisms centered on reliable symbol delivery are increasingly insufficient to support dynamic services and heterogeneous data modalities while meeting stringent requirements for latency, reliability, efficiency, and intelligence.

Semantic and token communications have emerged as key enablers of this transformation by allowing networks to extract, transmit, align, reconstruct, and act upon task-relevant information rather than simply delivering raw data. Drawing on semantic information theories, tokenization and semantic representation, knowledge bases, two-sided model alignment, and cloud-edge-device collaborative intelligence, semantic communications provide an important technological foundation for AI-native 6G and beyond. Realizing this communication paradigm also requires advances across protocol layers in semantic-aware retransmission, quality-of-service mapping, multi-resource management, model adaptation, privacy protection, and secure transmission.

At the application level, semantic communications are expected to enable a broad range of emerging 6G services. In satellite and non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), semantic and token-based transmission can reduce redundant data delivery and enhance robustness under limited bandwidth, long delay, and dynamic channels. In low-altitude and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) networks, semantic-aware sensing, control, and collaboration can support efficient task-oriented information exchange among aerial platforms, edge nodes, and ground users. For immersive extended reality (XR), holographic interaction, and generative AI-enabled services, semantic communications can optimize bandwidth consumption, computing cost, and user experience. 

At the same time, with the rise of large language model (LLM)-empowered intent understanding and Agentic AI, semantic communications can serve as a foundation for multi-user services, agent networks, intent-driven interaction, and autonomous decision-making. 

This Special Issue invites original contributions on fundamental theories, network architectures, enabling technologies, resource management, security mechanisms, experimental platforms, and practical deployments that advance semantic communications as a key pillar of AI-native 6G and beyond networks.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

1. Architecture and compatibility design of semantic communications for 6G and beyond
2. Theories of semantic communications
3. Standardization for semantic communications
4. Semantic communications for typical applications and scenarios of 6G and beyond
5. Cloud-edge-device collaborative semantic communications and model deployment
6. Semantic communications for non-terrestrial and low-altitude networks
7. Multi-user semantic communications
8. Two-sided model alignment for semantic communications
9. Token communications for 6G and beyond
10. World model-empowered semantic communications and 6G and beyond
11. Hierarchical Epistemology-based Semantic Communications
12. Semantic Communications for control plane such as CSI Compression and Feedback
13. Semantic knowledge base-empowered semantic communications
14. Semantic-aware HARQ and QoS mapping for semantic communications
15. LLM-empowered intent-aware semantic communications for 6G and beyond
16. Generative AI-empowered semantic communications
17. Multi-Resource management for semantic communications
18. Semantic communications for agent networks
19. Agentic AI for communications and networking in 6G and beyond
20. Privacy protection and security for semantic communications

Important Dates

• First submission deadline: February 1, 2027
• Notification of first decision: April 15, 2027
• First revision submission deadline: May 15, 2027
• Notification of final decision: June 15, 2027
• Final manuscript (camera ready) submission deadline: July 1, 2027
• Issue of Publication: August 2027

Guest Editor

• Lead Guest Editor: Xiaodong Xu (Professor)
  Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing, China
  E-mail: xuxiaodong@bupt.edu.cn
  
• Ping Zhang (Academician, Professor)
  Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing, China
  E-mail: pzhang@bupt.edu.cn
  
  
• Rahim Tafazolli (Academician, Professor)
  University of Surrey, Guildford, United Kingdom
  E-mail: r.tafazolli@surrey.ac.uk
  
  
• Sen Wang (Principle Engineer, Professor)
  China Mobile Research Institute, Beijing, China
  E-mail: wangsenyjy@chinamobile.com
  
  
• Mengying Sun (Associate Professor)
  Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing, China
  E-mail: smy_bupt@bupt.edu.cn