Published Paper Details:

Abstract: The evolution of mobile communication from 5G to 6G marks a revolutionary shift in the way smart cities operate, communicate, and optimize resources. This paper presents a comprehensive review of advanced communication protocols, focusing on the design and optimization aspects of 5G and emerging 6G technologies for intelligent urban ecosystems. Fifth-generation (5G) communication introduces high-speed connectivity, low latency, and massive device interconnectivity through technologies such as Massive Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO), beamforming, and network slicing. However, the exponential rise in data demand, ultra-reliable communication requirements, and the integration of billions of Internet of Things (IoT) devices necessitate further innovation--ushering in the sixth generation (6G). 6G envisions unprecedented performance with terabit-level data rates, sub-millisecond latency, and integrated sensing, computing, and communication capabilities powered by artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML). The paper analyzes the performance parameters such as channel capacity, spectral and energy efficiency, latency, and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), highlighting their implications for smart city applications including autonomous transportation, real-time environmental monitoring, and advanced healthcare systems. The review concludes by identifying key design challenges and future research directions necessary to achieve efficient, adaptive, and sustainable communication infrastructures for next-generation smart cities.