The User Perspective on Island-Ready 6G Communication: A Survey of Future Smartphone Usage in Crisis-Struck Areas with Local Cellular Connectivity

TL;DR

This survey explores user preferences for local cellular connectivity in crises with 6G, highlighting shifts in app demand and prioritizing critical services for crisis response in isolated areas.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of island-ready 6G cellular connectivity and provides empirical insights into user preferences and critical app prioritization during crises.

Findings

Users favor general-purpose apps over crisis-specific apps in island scenarios.

Criticality-based prioritization of smartphone services for crisis management.

Insights for user-centric design of island-ready 6G communication systems.

Abstract

Using smartphone apps during crises is well-established, proving critical for efficient crisis response. However, such apps become futile without an Internet connection, which is a common issue during crises. The ongoing 6G standardization explores the capability to provide local cellular connectivity for areas cut off from the Internet in crises. This paper introduces to the HCI community the concept of cellular island connectivity in isolated areas, promising a seamless transition from normal operation to island operation with local-only cellular connectivity. It presents findings from a survey (N = 857) among adult smartphone users from major German cities regarding their smartphone usage preferences in this model. Results show a shift in app demand, with users favoring general-purpose apps over dedicated crisis apps in specific scenarios. We prioritize smartphone services based on their criticality, distinguishing between apps essential for crisis response and those supporting routines. Our findings provide operators, developers, and authorities insights into making user-centric design decisions for implementing island-ready 6G communication.