ETHER completes SNS-JU remit focused on unified space, aerial and land 6G architecture
EUROPE 1 APR

ETHER completes SNS-JU remit focused on unified space, aerial and land 6G architecture

A 6G research project funded by the EU's Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS-JU) has wrapped up its remit, having introduced a novel architecture for combining satellite, land-based and aerial transmitters into a fully unified 6G network.  The ETHER project was co-ordinated by University of Luxembourg's Interdisciplinary Centre for Security, Reliability and Trust with the participation of Sateliot, Collins Aerospace, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Avanti, Ubiwhere, i2Cat Research Centr

NTT Docomo and SKT produce vRAN and AI-RAN roadmap
JAPAN 31 MRT

NTT Docomo and SKT produce vRAN and AI-RAN roadmap

NTT Docomo and SK Telecom (SKT) have published a joint white paper setting out technical requirements for the evolution of virtualised radio access networks (vRAN) and the transition towards AI-enabled RAN architectures. The document, developed as part of an ongoing collaboration between the two operators, examines how vRAN can evolve into AI-RAN, where artificial intelligence capabilities are integrated into radio access network infrastructure. It also outlines the enabling technologies and operational con

Brazil invests BRL 104 mln from telecom innovation fund
BRAZIL 30 MRT

Brazil invests BRL 104 mln from telecom innovation fund

Brazil's Ministry of Communications is allocating BRL 104 million from the Fund for the Technological Development of Telecommunications (Funttel) to accelerate research, development, and innovation in advanced technologies such as 6G, AI, and cloud computing. The approved funds, managed by the Centre for Research and Development in Telecommunications (CPQD) over the 2026-2028 period, include the Prisma Project for creating a Brazilian platform for managing sustainable data centres and cloud services. The pr

Sivers targets frontier 5G-A, 6G transmitters with new beamforming IC
GLOBAL 30 MRT

Sivers targets frontier 5G-A, 6G transmitters with new beamforming IC

Sivers Semiconductors announced the general release of a beamforming integrated circuit (IC) chip for directed signal transmission in FR3 bands, supporting frontier 5G Advanced and 6G network deployments. Sivers' Daybreak 0715 beamforming IC is designed to capture superior propagation associated with sub-6 GHz frequencies but delivered using wider, upper mid-band bandwidths from 7-15 GHz. The FR3 bands, nestled between sub-6 GHz and existing mmWave spectrum, are under consideration to provide incremental ca

KDDI to support lunar communications study through partnership with ispace
JAPAN 30 MRT

KDDI to support lunar communications study through partnership with ispace

KDDI has agreed to collaborate with ispace on the development of ground station capabilities for future lunar communication services, as part of a broader initiative to support emerging cislunar infrastructure. The partnership will focus on exploring the operation and utilisation of ground stations required to receive and process communications and data transmitted from lunar orbit. KDDI will provide technical and business expertise related to ground station functions and lunar communications, with both com

Spirent launches Landslide C100-M6 mobile core traffic validation device
GLOBAL 26 MRT

Spirent launches Landslide C100-M6 mobile core traffic validation device

Spirent Communications announced commercial availability of its latest generation test appliance and virtual test service for mobile core traffic simulations. The Landslide C100-M6 is designed to meet high-volume traffic demands implied in 5G Standalone deployments, AI-driven services, and handling operator-scale encrypted traffic. Spirent claims activation rates in the M6 model run up to three times faster than its predecessor. The device is the first from this series with TLS acceleration support, and ach

NGMN publishes guidance paper on agentic AI-powered mobile operations
GLOBAL 26 MRT

NGMN publishes guidance paper on agentic AI-powered mobile operations

The Next Generation Mobile Networks Alliance (NGMN) has published guidance to help implement agentic AI into mobile network operations, underpinning greater autonomy embedded into existing cloud-native infrastructure. The framework builds on 2023's NGMN Cloud Native Manifesto and third-party cloud native frameworks including the CNCF Cloud Native Maturity Model (CNMM). The publication puts forward a structured methodology for integrating agentic AI into network operations, and identifies five grades of AI a

Ericsson works with Juelich Research Center on AI models to support network evolution
EUROPE 25 MRT

Ericsson works with Juelich Research Center on AI models to support network evolution

Ericsson has teamed up with the Juelich Research Center in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia to work on AI models and research supporting core networks, network management and the next generation of Radio Access Networks (RAN). Areas of research include the use of AI models to assess execution speed, scalability to large datasets, information retention, and storage efficiency across Ericsson's portfolio of products. The partners may also use the Jupiter supercomputer for large-scale model training,

ITU adopts draft IMT-2030 baseline criteria for 6G radio candidates
GLOBAL 25 MRT

ITU adopts draft IMT-2030 baseline criteria for 6G radio candidates

Draft minimum performance requirements for candidate 6G radio interfaces considered under the IMT-2030 framework  have been agreed by the relevant International Telecommunication Union working subgroup. The criteria aim to create a consistent baseline for evaluating candidate radio interfaces to guide global 6G research and standardisation efforts, and are not meant to specify implementation or guarantee real-world performance outcomes.

5GAA renews pact with EU 6G industry body
GLOBAL 23 MRT

5GAA renews pact with EU 6G industry body

The 5G Automotive Association (5GAA) has extended its relationship with the EU's 6G Smart Networks and Services Industry Association (6G-IA). In light of this announcement, the two alliances have renewed a 5G-focused memorandum of understanding (MoU) agreed in August 2022 to promote policy overlap in areas including vehicle-to-everything (V2X) and connected automated driving (CAD). Christof Schmidt, director general of the 5GAA, said it would work closely with 6G-IA's stakeholders to align innovation progra

Egypt's NTI offers graduates free 5G/6G Open RAN training with 23 March application deadline
EGYPT 23 MRT

Egypt's NTI offers graduates free 5G/6G Open RAN training with 23 March application deadline

Egypt's National Telecommunication Institute (NTI) has announced the four-month HireReady programme in the 5G/6G Open RAN Technologies track as part of the Digital Egypt Youth Initiative. The training starts on 04 April and the deadline for applications is 23 March. It is fully funded by the ICT ministry and targets graduates in the past five years.

ETSI launches version 1 of federated telco cloud framework
EUROPE 19 MRT

ETSI launches version 1 of federated telco cloud framework

ETSI has introduced the inaugural version of the open-source Operator Platform for the Telco Cloud, delivered by its OpenOP software development group. OpenOP enables federated network and testbed resources powered by cloud-hosted mobile telecoms systems, supporting both service providers and application developers, with a focus at this stage on experimental 5G-Advanced and 6G programmes. This inaugural version provides a fundamental framework for exposure of telecoms network capabilities, including open CA

ITALY 19 MRT

Italy's Agcom launches consultation on use of 42 GHz spectrum

Italy's communications regulator Agcom has opened a public consultation on the potential use of the 42 GHz spectrum band to expand wireless broadband services. The probe covers frequencies in the 40.5-43.5 GHz range, a millimetre-wave band currently used for fixed, satellite and radio astronomy applications, and is aimed at assessing how the band could support new high-capacity radio systems.

JAPAN 19 MRT

Japan-Singapore partnership targets cooperation in digital infrastructure

Japan and Singapore have agreed to strengthen cooperation across advanced technologies as part of a new strategic partnership, with a focus on artificial intelligence, semiconductors, quantum technologies and digital infrastructure. The agreement outlines the establishment of an ICT policy dialogue and the potential renewal of a memorandum of cooperation on ICT between Japan's ministry of internal affairs and communications and Singapore's ministry of digital development and information. 

JAPAN 19 MRT

SoftBank and AGC develop energy-efficient antenna technology for 6G networks

SoftBank has developed a new base station antenna design in collaboration with AGC aimed at reducing power consumption and simplifying infrastructure for future 6G networks. The "functional beam shaping lens antenna" combines SoftBank's antenna and coverage design technologies with AGC's metasurface lens technology. According to the companies, the design reduces the number of antenna elements required for vertical beam shaping to one-eighth or less of conventional systems, leading to a corresponding reducti

KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 19 MRT

SKT and Ericsson sign MoU on AI-driven network evolution towards 6G

SK Telecom (SKT) and Ericsson have signed an MoU to expand collaboration on AI-based network technologies spanning 5G evolution and future 6G development. The agreement focuses on joint research and validation of advanced network technologies, with the aim of supporting both near-term enhancements to 5G networks and longer-term 6G standardisation and development.

UNITED STATES 18 MRT

Ericsson welcomes US economic affairs under-secretary to 5G manufacturing base

Ericsson has welcomed a US federal government under-secretary to its USA 5G Smart Factory in Lewisville, Texas. Jacob Helberg, US Under Secretary for Economic Affairs, visited the facility with a staff of more than 550, alongside US ambassador to Sweden Christine Toretti, Swedish ambassador Urban Ahlin, Ericsson president and CEO Borje Ekholm, and head of Ericsson Americas Yossi Cohen.

JAPAN 18 MRT

Marubun signs Siradel deal to support 6G and NTN simulation capabilities

Japanese electronics distributor Marubun Corporation has entered into a distribution agreement with French firm Siradel SAS to provide wireless simulation software and high-precision 3D geodata aimed at supporting research into next-generation communications, including Beyond 5G and 6G. The agreement covers the rollout of Siradel's InoWave platform, which is designed to model and evaluate advanced wireless technologies such as non-terrestrial networks (NTN), vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communications and dr

GLOBAL 17 MRT

Nokia shares early Wi-Fi 9 vision

Nokia's Klaus Doppler has offered a glimpse at the company's overarching vision for the ninth-generation Wi-Fi standard, ahead of discussions at the IEEE's 802.11 working group meeting. The blueprint was outlined in a written post by Doppler, who leads Nokia's Wi-Fi Research Centre of Excellence. Doppler argued the delivery timings for Wi-Fi 9 would likely allow it to evolve alongside future 6G networks as part of a broader, complementary wireless ecosystem. This could involve each technology being optimise

UNITED STATES 17 MRT

NTIA considers new Innovation Fund remit focused on AI-RAN advances

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) is considering a change in focus for the Public Wireless Supply Chain Innovation Fund launched during the Biden presidency in 2023. The NTIA said a reworked vision for the fund would further support US development of AI-native network architectures, including AI-RAN. 

UNITED ARAB EMIRATES 17 MRT

E& and Khalifa University launch white paper for AI-native 6G networks

E& UAE and Khalifa University have jointly launched a white paper with the title '6G AI-Native Networks: Architecture, Intelligence, and the Path to Autonomous Connectivity'. It presents a structured framework that advances the global dialogue on IMT-2030 and future 3GPP Release 21+ standardisation. It defines a true AI-native architecture, introducing a dedicated AI-plane integrated alongside user, control and management planes.

NETHERLANDS 16 MRT

Dutch govt approves EUR 142 mln additional funding for 6G research

The Dutch government has approved EUR 142 million in funding for 6G research, as part of the National Growth fund for long-term strategic investments. This takes total public funding for the 6G Future Network Services consortium to EUR 203 million to date. The group brings together public research groups and private companies to work on 6G network development, ahead of an expected 2030 start to the new generation of mobile technology. 

KOREA, REPUBLIC OF 16 MRT

South Korea and Finland discuss cooperation on quantum and 6G

South Korea and Finland have discussed expanding cooperation in advanced technology areas including quantum computing, sixth-generation mobile communications and artificial intelligence during a meeting between government officials in Seoul. According to the ministry of science and ICT, first vice minister Koo Hyuk‑chae met Antti Vasara, Finland's technology envoy, at the National Science and Technology Advisory Council to explore ways to strengthen bilateral collaboration in emerging digital technologies.

EUROPE 13 MRT

6G-IA renews pact with Public Safety Communication Europe

The EU 6G Smart Networks and Services Industry Association (6G-IA) has renewed a cooperation agreement with Public Safety Communication Europe (PSCE). An MoU with the 6G-IA, an industry body overseeing EU private sector contributions to the SNS joint undertaking (SNS-JU), was signed in 2018 when it was still known as the 5G-IA. With the updated agreement, the partners plan to continue efforts to shape 6G and 5G deployments for public safety and security, including disaster relief use cases.

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Background

29 MRT 22:46

The week in telecoms: Italy brings back PTT, US bans foreign routers and social media on trial

23 MRT 00:38

The week in telecoms: OFC and Nvidia events drive data centre networking talk, Orange debuts full French office stack

16 MRT 00:25

The week in telecoms: Pakistan ready for 5G, Google exits FTTH market and Canal Plus works on pay-TV turnaround

6 MRT 16:00

The week in telecom: MWC brings 5G advances, AI and satellite integration, plus first robot phone