Nokia to be project lead for European Commission’s Hexa-X 6G research initiative

Nokia will be the project leader for the European Commission's 6G research initiative Hexa-X. The project will commence on January 1, 2021, with a planned duration of 2.5 years.

Hexa-X is the first official research initiative across the industry ecosystem to accelerate and foster 6G research and drive European leadership in the 6G era. It aims to connect the physical, digital and human worlds, firmly anchored in future wireless technology and architectural research.

The European Commission is funding the project under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program. The Hexa-X project goals include creating unique 6G use cases and scenarios, developing fundamental 6G technologies and defining a new architecture for an intelligent fabric that integrates key 6G technology enablers.

The company's industrial research arm 'Nokia Bell Labs' pioneered many of the fundamental technology innovations that are being used to develop 5G standards and now it is researching the fundamental technologies that will comprise 6G.

Nokia Bell Labs, together with the Hexa-X consortium, has identified six research challenges including connecting intelligence, sustainability and trustworthiness, among others.

"Even though there is still a lot of innovation in 5G with the release of new standards, we are already exploring 6G in our research lab. In the 6G era we will see applications that will not only connect humans with machines but also connect humans with the digital world," said Peter Vetter, Head of Access and Devices Research, Nokia Bell Labs.

Nokia expects 6G systems to launch commercially by 2030, following the typical 10-year cycle between generations, the company said in a press release on Monday.