  With the impending arrival of the sixth generation (6G) of wireless
communication technology, the telecommunications landscape is poised for
another revolutionary transformation. At the forefront of this evolution are
intelligent meta-surfaces (IS), emerging as a disruptive physical layer
technology with the potential to redefine the capabilities and performance
metrics of future wireless networks. As 6G evolves from concept to reality,
industry stakeholders, standards organizations, and regulatory bodies are
collaborating to define the specifications, protocols, and interoperability
standards governing IS deployment. Against this background, this article delves
into the ongoing standardization efforts, emerging trends, potential
opportunities, and prevailing challenges surrounding the integration of IS into
the framework of 6G and beyond networks. Specifically, it provides a
tutorial-style overview of recent advancements in IS and explores their
potential applications within future networks beyond 6G. Additionally, the
article identifies key challenges in the design and implementation of various
types of intelligent surfaces, along with considerations for their practical
standardization. Finally, it highlights potential future prospects in this
evolving field.
