Tutorial 3 - Methods and Performance Evaluation Metrics of Wireless Channel Map Constructions for 6G and Beyond

Wireless channel maps are emerging as a key enabler for sixth generation (6G) and beyond 6G (B6G) wireless systems, which are expected to support space-air-ground-sea integrated networks with three-dimensional (3D) continuous coverage and integrated sensing and communication (ISAC). By capturing the location-related channel characteristics across space, time, and frequency domains, channel maps provide a new paradigm that shifts wireless system design from instantaneous channel estimation to environment-aware and data-driven optimization. However, the construction of high-quality wireless channel maps faces fundamental challenges in balancing accuracy, efficiency, scalability, and multi-dimensional characterization capability. Meanwhile, the lack of unified construction methodologies and standardized key performance indicators (KPIs) further limits their practical application. In addition, how to effectively exploit channel maps to enable advanced 6G/B6G system design remains unexplored. This tutorial presents a comprehensive and systematic study of wireless channel map construction and map-enabled system design for 6G/B6G. Three representative channel map construction methods are introduced, including channel measurement data with artificial intelligence (AI) completion, discrete-space hybrid channel modeling with measurement data calibration, and 3D continuous-space electromagnetic channel modeling with measurement data calibration. A unified KPI framework is established to evaluate channel map performance in terms of coverage, accuracy, construction efficiency, update capability, and storage complexity. Furthermore, the tutorial explores how channel maps can enable key system design functionalities, such as channel information acquisition, pilot allocation, and positioning. By integrating electromagnetic theory, wireless propagation channel modeling, and data-driven methodologies, this tutorial provides a unified framework for the construction, evaluation, and application of wireless channel maps, and reveals the intrinsic relationships between channel map and system performance.

  • Corresponding Author Information
    Cheng-Xiang Wang, Southeast University& Purple Mountain Laboratories, China
    Prof. Cheng-Xiang Wang received the B.Sc. and M.Eng. degrees in communication and information systems from Shandong University, China, in 1997 and 2000, respectively, and the Ph.D. degree in wireless communications from Aalborg University, Denmark, in 2004. He has been with Southeast University, China, as a professor since 2018 and he is now the Vice President of Southeast University. He is also a professor with Purple Mountain Laboratories, China. He was with Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, U.K., from 2005 to 2018. He has authored 4 books, 3 book chapters, and over 710 papers in refereed journals and conference proceedings, including 33 highly cited papers. He has also delivered 39 invited keynote speeches/talks and 24 tutorials in international conferences. His current research interests include wireless channel measurements and modeling, 6G intelligent communication networks, and electromagnetic information theory. Dr. Wang is a Member of the Academia Europaea, a Member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (EASA), a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE), and IEEE.

  • Speaker 1: Cheng-Xiang Wang, Southeast University& Purple Mountain Laboratories, China
  • Title: Methods and Performance Evaluation Metrics of Wireless Channel Map Constructions for 6G and Beyond - Part I
    Prof. Cheng-Xiang Wang received the B.Sc. and M.Eng. degrees in communication and information systems from Shandong University, China, in 1997 and 2000, respectively, and the Ph.D. degree in wireless communications from Aalborg University, Denmark, in 2004. He has been with Southeast University, China, as a professor since 2018 and he is now the Vice President of Southeast University. He is also a professor with Purple Mountain Laboratories, China. He was with Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, U.K., from 2005 to 2018. He has authored 4 books, 3 book chapters, and over 710 papers in refereed journals and conference proceedings, including 33 highly cited papers. He has also delivered 39 invited keynote speeches/talks and 24 tutorials in international conferences. His current research interests include wireless channel measurements and modeling, 6G intelligent communication networks, and electromagnetic information theory. Dr. Wang is a Member of the Academia Europaea, a Member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts (EASA), a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE), and IEEE.

  • Speaker 2: Jie Huang, Southeast University& Purple Mountain Laboratories, China
  • Title: Methods and Performance Evaluation Metrics of Wireless Channel Map Constructions for 6G and Beyond - Part II
    Dr. Jie Huang received the B.E. degree in Information Engineering from Xidian University, China, in 2013, and the Ph.D. degree in Information and Communication Engineering from Shandong University, China, in 2018. Since Mar. 2019, he is a part-time researcher in Purple Mountain Laboratories, China. Since Nov. 2020, he is an Associate Professor in the National Mobile Communications Research Laboratory, Southeast University. He has authored and co-authored more than 170 papers in refereed journals and conference proceedings. He received IEEE Neal Shepherd Memorial Best Propagation Paper Award in 2024 and 5 Best Paper Awards. He has delivered over 17 tutorials in international conferences, including IEEE Globecom and ICC. He is served as an Editor for IEEE TGCN and an Associate Editor for IEEE TVT. His research interests include millimeter wave, massive MIMO, reconfigurable intelligent surface channel measurements and modeling, and electromagnetic information theory.

  • Speaker 3: Junling Li, Southeast University& Purple Mountain Laboratories, China
  • Title: Methods and Performance Evaluation Metrics of Wireless Channel Map Constructions for 6G and Beyond - Part III
    Dr. Junling Li received the B.S. degree from Tianjin University, Tianjin, China, and the M.S. degree from the Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing, China, in 2013 and 2016, respectively. In 2020, she received the Ph.D. degree from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada. She was a Joint Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Shenzhen Institute of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics for Society (AIRS), University of Waterloo, and the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen from 2020 to 2022. She is currently an Associate Professor in the National Mobile Communications Research Laboratory at Southeast University, Nanjing, China. Dr. Li received the Best Paper Awards at the IEEE ICCC 2019, ICCT 2023, and ICC 2025. Her research interests include digital twin, channel modeling, game theory, and machine learning based channel prediction.