The unveiling of Surrey University’s 5G/6G Innovation Centre (6GIC) in 2020 represented a major leap towards advancing 6G technology and, for the university, reflected its commitment to creating the next generation of mobile technology to address economic growth and sustainability.
5G was first introduced in 2019 with the major marker between it and its predecessors being speed. 6G is expected to be the next generation of cellular network technologies arriving by 2030, providing even faster speeds with lower latency.
It’s a highly anticipated technology, but isn’t here quite yet. Earlier this year, in May, researchers from Cornell University developed a semiconductor chip capable of facilitating smaller devices to operate at the frequencies needed for 6G technology. Currently, the majority of wireless communications operate at frequencies below 6GHz, but companies have been working towards developing 6G technology that operates above 20GHz.
6G is being discussed in relation to a multitude of topics, such as what kind of speeds and data rates it can deliver on; how it can work alongside AI and machine learning (ML); how it will improve connectivity and coverage; and how international standards must be shaped to promote adoption of 6G.
The establishment of the 5G/6G Innovation Centre was to ensure 5G reached its full potential while beginning to explore 6G, and news in the last couple of years put out by the University of Surrey shows a focus on revolutionising wireless communications, shaping international standards to impact adoption, and training in AI-era networks.
In 2023, the university received a £7.8 million research grant to accelerate the development of open and intelligent Radio Access Network (RAN) systems within the UK. In an announcement put out about it, the university explained that a conventional RAN approach requires telecommunications operators to work with singler suppliers across one network; while open RAN creates open interfaces enabling interoperability.
In the same year, Rahim Tafazolli, Regius Professor of Electronic Engineering who founded the 5G/6G Innovation Centre spoke of the potential for 6G to “transform our lives”, in an announcement about the UK’s expertise to shape international standards for 6G. “It could pave the way for new technologies to keep us safe, healthy and connected. We are delighted to be part of this ISG from the very beginning,” he said.
This year, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) announced that the 5G/6G Innovation Centre would lead an £8 million Centre for Doctoral Training in Future Open Secure Networks (FORT). FORT will train 50 plus postgraduate researchers in wireless communications, networking, cybersecurity and AI, marking a step towards building safe, reliable and future-proof communication networks.
In the announcement Dr Jesus Martinez del Rincon, Co-Director of FORT and Research Director of Secure Intelligence at CSIT at QUB said: “With the FORT programme, we aim to create a community of 50 PhDs who will become the future, industry-conscious thinkers and leaders on secure, trustworthy and autonomous future network communications.”
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