WIREDGOV

The first of a three-part series of universities-run workshops focused on 6G research in the UK supported by UK SPF and DCMS launches today.

Led by the University of Bristol’s Smart Internet Lab, today’s 6G research workshop will focus on physical layer hardware technologies and architectures as well as new materials to enhance both spectrum and energy efficiency of next generation networks. 

Matt Warman MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport, will open the session, showcasing the UK’s initiative on leading the research on the communication infrastructures and spectrums of the future. 

The Universities of Bristol, Surrey and Strathclyde have been selected to run the workshops, however the intention is for these workshops to be a platform for all UK universities having relevant wireless research. Each hosting University has been entrusted by the SPF and DCMS to identify outstanding research projects from other Universities to showcase at their workshops. 

The output from this series of workshops will be a White Paper for the UK SPF to present to government that validates the research projects as relevant to UK 6G research priorities, identifies gaps, suggests opportunities for collaboration, looks at the adequacy of research funding streams and flag potential implications for 6G spectrum policy. 

Matt Warman, Minister for Digital Infrastructure, said: 

!Britain’s 5G rollout is well underway and we are backing it with £450 million so new mobile networks are secure, resilient and benefit a range of UK industries. But we are not resting on our laurels. 6G is on the horizon and we are preparing for it. By bringing together renowned academic and tech experts we will put the UK at the forefront and unlock revolutionary improvements for people's lives and businesses.”

David Meyer, Chair of the UK Spectrum Policy Forum, said: 

”I am delighted at the UK Spectrum Policy Forum’s association with this critical strategic work: it’s a pleasure to see our world-leading technologists organising and contributing to such important developments. I particularly welcome the close association of government, academia and industry in a common endeavour, and I wish them every success.”

The lead for today’s workshop, Professor Mark Beach, from the Communication Systems and Networks (CSN) Research Group, Smart Internet Lab said: 

”This first workshop draws on academic research from 11 different UK institutions showcasing wireless technologies, network architectures, advances in material science, application of spectrum sharing and potential use of higher frequency bands for spectrum and energy efficient 6G connectivity.  The engagement of the academic community supporting this event has been incredible and the presentation material is inspirational.”

Notes for editors 

For more information about today’s workshop, see here. 

The next two events in this series are: 

Radio Access Network Techniques for 6G 
1 July 2021 | 09.30-16:00 | Led by the University of Surrey 

6G: Software Defined Radio and RF Sampling 
16 September 2021 | 09.30-16:00 | Led by the University of Strathclyde 

You can register via the hyperlinks above. 

About UK Spectrum Policy Forum (SPF)  

Set up at the request of government and Ofcom, the Spectrum Policy Forum (SPF) act as a pro-active industry-led ‘sounding board’ to UK Government and Ofcom on future policy and approaches on spectrum and a cross-industry ‘agent’ for promoting the role of spectrum in society and the maximisation of its economic and social value to the UK. We do this by exchanging news and views on developments in using spectrum, drawing on our industry expertise from around the world. 

About the Smart Internet Lab, University of Bristol 

The Smart Internet Lab at the University of Bristol is one of the UK's most renowned Information and Communications Technology (ICT) research centres which addresses grand societal and industrial challenges. 

It is made up of 200 experts on 5G radio/wireless, optical communications and networks challenge the complexity of tomorrow's world by fusing research expertise and innovation in a range of research areas such as: IoT, 5G & Beyond, Future Transport Networks, Smart Cities, Autonomous Networks, Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, Network, Convergence, Mobile Edge Computing and Network Softwarization.