The three-year 6G-ANNA (6G Access, Network of Networks and Automation) lighthouse project was initiated by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and will be led by smartphone maker Nokia.
A total of 29 companies will be involved in the project, including Airbus, Bosch, Ericsson, Siemens and Vodafone as well as a number of start-ups, research institutes and universities.
The aim of the 38.4 million Euro ($39.2 million) project is to advance the development, standardization and implementation of the upcoming new generation of mobile communications.
Rohde & Schwarz said it will be contributing to the project “by leveraging its already comprehensive research into 6G and related technologies.”
Rohde & Schwarz says it has been closely involved in research into the development of 6G for some time and actively supports the ongoing research activities at 6G organizations, universities and research institutes across Europe, in the US and Japan.
The company has already invested in research into different technologies expected to play a key role in the development of 6G, including (sub-)THz communication, joint communication and sensing (JCAS), artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) or reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RIS).
The first global specification of 6G is expected within the next six to eight years, and the commercial introduction of the technology is estimated to take place around 2030.