Nokia is pushing ahead with testing of 6G wireless data network technology – which promises to integrate object sensing capabilities that will operate simultaneously with communication services in one network.
To this end Nokia today (Oct 5, 2023) announced that it has established a first-of-its-kind 6G Lab at its Global R&D center in Bangalore, India, to accelerate the development of fundamental technologies and innovative use cases for the technology, which has great potential to revolutionise traffic management and CAV (connected and autonomous vehicle) systems.
The Lab includes a setup to research ‘Network as a Sensor’ technology that enables the network to sense objects, vehicles, people and movement without the need for dedicated sensors. In the 6G era, ’Network as a Sensor’ has been identified as a key enabling technology that supports the vision of bringing the digital and physical worlds together.
6G will be able to sense the environment around it. The ubiquitous network will become a source of situational awareness, collating signals that are bouncing off objects and determining type and shape, relative location, velocity and perhaps even material properties. With adequate 6G solutions for privacy and trust, such a mode of sensing can help create a “mirror” or digital twin of the physical world in combination with other sensing modalities.
6G has the potential to enable people and vehicles to see around corners, gather information about their surroundings and even interact with objects at a distance. The Lab will also provide an experimental platform for researching algorithms, privacy, and sustainable system design.
Nokia’s new 6G Lab was inaugurated virtually by the Hon’ble Minister of Railways, Communications, Electronics & IT, Government of India, Mr Ashwini Vaishnaw.
Nokia’s 6G lab supports the Government of India’s ‘Bharat 6G Vision,’ introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, that envisions a key global role for India in the standardization, development, and implementation of 6G technology. The Lab will function as a platform for collaboration for industry stakeholders and facilitate the testing of innovative solutions while establishing their potential for commercialization.
Nokia is a pioneer in 6G work and is engaged in several global projects and regional initiatives with industry peers, customers, academia, and research institutions. This work aims to form a common view and direction for 6G, including 6G Hexa-X and Hexa-X-II, the first and second phase of the European 6G Flagship. Nokia is also a founding member of the Next G Alliance which is helping to drive the 6G ecosystem in North America and coordinating the German Lighthouse project 6G ANNA.
Nishant Batra, chief strategy and technology officer of Nokia, says: “Nokia is honored to contribute towards the realization of the Indian government’s ‘Bharat 6G vision’. We look forward to collaborating with key stakeholders to help India become a major player in 6G technology development and adoption; and take its place in the global arena as a leading developer and supplier of advanced telecom technologies and solutions.”
