An advanced center is being set up to transform mobile technology to the next level and place the United Kingdom as the global leader of 6G research, education, and innovation.
Image Credit: University of Bristol.
The new virtual hub named 6G Futures combines over 400 globally renowned experts in telecommunications networks, artificial intelligence, cyber, social sciences, digital humanities, and arts from the University of Bristol and King’s College London in a special collaboration that will help mold the future of mobile technology for individuals and society.
Certain concepts related to 6G, including holographic communications, the creation of digital twins, and immersive life, might sound futuristic, but other aspects like autonomous driving are widely recognized.
With the additional development of human-centric 6G networks, advanced applications can further improvise how arts, health, transport, and many other systems are functioning.
The public is only beginning to see first-hand the enormous potential of 5G networks, an area which we have been working on for many years. Through this new center, we will now focus on the next-generation mobile networks–6G and beyond–and the truly awe-inspiring capabilities these will bring. 6G will be inherently human-centric, and will establish a cyber-physical continuum by delivering real-time sensory information, supporting haptics and holograms.
Dimitra Simeonidou, Professor and Director, Smart Internet Lab, University of Bristol
“This takes us far beyond future-forecasting: crucially, this is about having the specialist knowledge and expertise to transform visions into deliverable solutions, accelerate innovation, and make a positive difference to society worldwide,” added Prof. Simeonidou, who is also the co-director of Bristol Digital Futures Institute.
As adoption of 5G accelerates around the world, it’s important the UK is prepared for 6G as the next-generation mobile technology. The creation of this center is a notable moment for the UK technology sector. We will be developing novel architectures, incorporating federated exchange and self-synthesizing mechanisms, advance the internet of skills, and embed blockchain, quantum, and federated AI technologies.
Mischa Dohler, Professor, Wireless Communications, King’s College London
“But it’s not just pure tech–we’ll be working on co-creation with verticals toward some truly exciting and societally impacting use-cases, while contributing to policy, alliances and global standards,” Dohler further stated.
Both the institutions contributed significantly to bringing 5G to the mainstream and excel in machine learning and artificial intelligence. Particularly, King’s College London has expertise in mobile networks, and the University of Bristol specializes in network layers and wired or wireless technology.
By integrating their preeminent skills, the center will be optimally placed to gather and strengthen the United Kingdom’s world-class track record in telecoms and networks for the next five years and beyond.
The expected abilities of 6G are exceptional. With predicted download speeds 10 times faster compared to 5G, 6G will also include the capabilities of trillions of connected machines to shift sensory information as part of the communication specialty, thereby forming a completely new cyber-physical continuum.
Moreover, 6G will include networks capable of designing, organizing, and sustaining themselves, providing levels of efficiency unexplored earlier.
This multi-disciplinary center will fill a real national leadership gap on 6G here in the UK. Not only will be the focus be on technology but also on the development of solutions that could transform sectors spanning health, energy and transport.
Phil Taylor, Professor and Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Research and Enterprise, University of Bristol
“It will provide an opportunity for industry and international collaborators to come together with the best and brightest minds, here in the world-renowned tech clusters of London and Bristol,” added Taylor.
Vice President and Vice-Principal (Research) Prof. Reza Razavi from King’s College London concluded, “If the UK is going to play a major role in realizing the potential of 6G, we need a national center that brings together the very best minds in communications technologies, cyber, AI, digital humanities, the arts and social science. The formation of this center is a very exciting moment in the trajectory of 6G evolution.”