Nokia, IISc team up to research 6G use cases focused on needs of Indian society

New Delhi: Nokia on Friday said it is partnering with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to jointly research 6G technologies and 6G use cases that will have a direct societal impact in India.

According to a release, Nokia and IISc will work together in Nokia's newly opened 6G Lab in Bengaluru, where they will pursue three key areas of research. These are 6G radio technologies, 6G architecture, and the application of machine learning into the 6G air interface.

"Nokia announced today it is expanding its 6G commitment to India by partnering with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to jointly research 6G technologies and 6G use cases that will have a direct societal impact in India," the release said.

The collaboration will develop reference architectures, software frameworks and algorithms, with the aim of contributing their joint research to the 6G technology and standards ecosystem. The nature of the research is global, but Nokia and IISc will place special focus on 6G use cases that address areas of particular importance to India.

These include creating more sustainable and energy-efficient communications systems, improving resiliency and reliability of networks for critical communications, and using AI and developing 'Network as Sensor' technologies to improve transportation safety, augment healthcare and increase access to education.

By focusing on these use cases, Nokia and IISc will help shape the evolution of cellular infrastructure to meet the societal needs of large and developing countries like India, while contributing to the global 6G ecosystem as a whole.

"India has become a global powerhouse in communications innovation and is playing a key role in the development of 6G," it said.

In October 2023, Nokia opened the 6G Lab at its global research and development centre in Bengaluru. The facility aims to accelerate the development of fundamental technologies and innovative use cases underpinned by 6G technology as well as foster collaboration between Nokia and India's academic community.

The collaboration with IISc is the first such partnership to emerge from the lab.

It combines the academic strength of the prominent research institution in India with Nokia's expertise in introducing cutting-edge mobile technology to the world at scale.