Hexa-X-II: Nokia to lead second phase of Europe's 6G flagship initiative

Nokia said Friday it will lead the Hexa-X-II project, the second phase of the European 6G flagship initiative, following its leadership of the first Hexa-X project. Both projects aim to establish Europe as the leader in 6G.

The European Commission has awarded funding to the Hexa-X-II project as part of the first call of the Smart Network and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS-JU). The project aims to start work on 1 January 2023, with a planned duration of two and a half years.

"Nokia is honoured to lead in this pioneering project. As billions more people and devices get connected, urbanization intensifies, and we strive to manage the limitations on energy and materials, the role of networks and 6G will only deepen. It is essential that we keep the larger context in mind as we imagine the new network," said Peter Vetter, President of Nokia's Bell Labs Core Research.

Following our work on the first Hexa-X project, we’re proud to announce that we have been made project leader on #Hexa-X-II – Europe’s flagship #6G project.For more on how we are driving the future of global connection, read here: https://t.co/WLrfKhyS2x#innovation @BellLabs pic.twitter.com/N6uVJkbQmN

— Nokia (@nokia) October 7, 2022

The Hexa-X-II consortium aims to overcome the following societal challenges:

• Sustainability: The project will research technologies that contribute to a zero-carbon footprint and limit energy and material consumption.
• Inclusion: The project aims to provide connectivity to people in developing countries as well as to the underprivileged members of developed societies.
• Trustworthiness: The project will ensure data transparency, security and privacy, and network robustness.

The Hexa-X-II project members range from network vendors and CSPs to verticals and technology providers, as well as the most prominent European communications research institutes.

According to Nokia's press release, Ericsson will take the role of technical manager for Europe's Hexa-X-II project while Orange, TIM SpA, TU Dresden, University of Oulu, IMEC and Atos will help coordinate various work packages.