<![CDATA[Perkembangan jaringan 6G diproyeksikan menjadi fondasi utama bagi ekosistem Internet of Things (IoT) berskala masif dengan kebutuhan cakupan yang luas, latensi sangat rendah, serta efisiensi energi tinggi. Namun, area sulit jangkau seperti pedesaan terpencil, daerah pegunungan, atau wilayah dengan banyak halangan fisik masih menjadi tantangan utama bagi operator jaringan. Di sisi lain, arsitektur jaringan mesh dan teknologi Intelligent Reflecting Surfaces (IRS) muncul sebagai kandidat kuat untuk membentuk lingkungan radio yang dapat diprogram dan memperluas jangkauan sinyal tanpa menambah daya pancar secara signifikan. Artikel ini mengusulkan sebuah arsitektur mesh 6G-IoT berbasis IRS yang dirancang khusus untuk mengoptimasi kualitas sinyal di area sulit jangkau. Kontribusi utama penelitian ini meliputi: (1) perancangan topologi mesh 6G-IoT yang memanfaatkan node IoT sebagai relay adaptif; (2) integrasi IRS sebagai “reflektor cerdas” pada titik-titik bayangan sinyal (non-line-of-sight); dan (3) formulasi model optimasi gabungan pemilihan rute mesh dan konfigurasi fase IRS untuk memaksimalkan Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR) dan probabilitas cakupan. Hasil simulasi konseptual menunjukkan bahwa arsitektur yang diusulkan mampu meningkatkan SINR rata-rata hingga sekitar 35% dan cakupan area hingga 30% dibandingkan skema mesh tanpa IRS, serta lebih efisien energi dibandingkan pendekatan penambahan base station konvensional. Penelitian ini mengindikasikan bahwa kombinasi mesh 6G-IoT + IRS berpotensi menjadi solusi praktis untuk memperkecil kesenjangan digital di area sulit dijangkau. Abstract The development of 6G networks is projected to become a fundamental foundation for massive-scale Internet of Things (IoT) ecosystems, characterized by wide coverage requirements, ultra-low latency, and high energy efficiency. However, hard-to-reach areas such as remote rural regions, mountainous terrains, and environments with significant physical obstructions remain major challenges for network operators. Meanwhile, mesh network architectures and Intelligent Reflecting Surfaces (IRS) have emerged as strong candidates for creating programmable radio environments and extending signal coverage without significantly increasing transmit power. This article proposes an IRS-assisted 6G-IoT mesh architecture specifically designed to optimize signal quality in hard-to-reach areas. The main contributions of this study include: (1) the design of a 6G-IoT mesh topology that leverages IoT nodes as adaptive relays; (2) the integration of IRS as “intelligent reflectors” deployed at signal shadowing (non-line-of-sight) locations; and (3) the formulation of a joint optimization model for mesh route selection and IRS phase configuration to maximize the Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise Ratio (SINR) and coverage probability. Conceptual simulation results demonstrate that the proposed architecture can improve average SINR by approximately 35% and area coverage by up to 30% compared to conventional mesh schemes without IRS, while also achieving higher energy efficiency than traditional base station densification approaches. These findings indicate that the combination of 6G-IoT mesh networks and IRS has strong potential as a practical solution to reduce the digital divide in hard-to-reach areas.]]>
