This article presents a data-driven system-level analysis of multi-layer 6G networks operating in the upper mid-band (FR3: 7-24 GHz). Unlike most prior studies based on 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) templates, we leverage real-world deployment and traffic data from a commercial 4G/5G network in China to evaluate practical 6G strategies. Using Giulia-a deployment-informed system-level heterogeneous network model-we show that 6G can boost median throughput by up to 9.5x over heterogeneous 4G+5G deployments, but also increases power usage by up to 59%. Critically, co-locating 6G with existing sites delivers limited gains while incurring high energy cost. In contrast, non-co-located, traffic-aware deployments achieve superior throughput-to-watt efficiency, highlighting the need for strategic, user equipment (UE) hotspot-focused 6G planning.

翻译：本文对运行于中高频段（FR3：7-24 GHz）的多层6G网络进行了数据驱动的系统级分析。与大多数基于第三代合作伙伴计划（3GPP）模板的先前研究不同，我们利用来自中国商用4G/5G网络的实际部署与流量数据来评估实用的6G部署策略。通过采用Giulia——一个基于部署信息的系统级异构网络模型——我们证明，相较于异构4G+5G部署，6G可将中位数吞吐量提升高达9.5倍，但同时也会使功耗增加高达59%。关键的是，将6G与现有站点共址部署带来的增益有限，却会产生高昂的能耗成本。相比之下，非共址的、基于流量感知的部署方案能实现更优的吞吐量-瓦特效率，这凸显了以用户设备（UE）热点为中心进行战略性6G规划的必要性。