Nokia launches 6G lab in India for advancing technology development

To further scale up the 6G research initiative in the country, Nokia is also in the process of building research collaborations with research institutes

Finnish network equipment maker Nokia has launched a 6G lab in the country to explore potential use cases for industry and society, according to a report by The Economic Times (ET). Union Telecom Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw inaugurated the 6G lab.

Nishant Batra, chief strategy and technology officer at Nokia, stated that the company is keen to collaborate with key stakeholders to help India become a significant player in 6G technology development and adoption. He added that this would position India as a leading developer and supplier of advanced telecom technologies and solutions strongly on the global stage.

Vaishnaw mentioned that intriguing use cases emerging from the lab would relate to transportation safety, healthcare, and education, thereby making another significant contribution to the broader Digital India initiative.

To escalate the 6G research efforts in the country, Nokia is in the process of establishing research collaborations with Indian educational institutes such as the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). In a statement, the company indicated that experts at Nokia's Bengaluru centre will bolster India's ambitions to make notable contributions to global 6G technology standards.

The lab includes a setup for researching 'Network as a Sensor' technology. This setup will enable the network to detect objects, people, and movements without requiring onboard sensors. In the context of sixth-generation or 6G networks, Nokia mentioned that 'Network as a Sensor' could be a pivotal technology that bridges the digital and physical realms. Nokia plans to operate a communication service alongside the sensor capabilities.

What is 6G?

The sixth-generation (6G) technology is set to succeed 5G in the realm of wireless communications. These networks will utilise higher frequencies than their 5G counterparts, offering much higher capacity and lower latency. 6G has the potential to bring significant enhancements in presence technology and location awareness.