6G-REFERENCE First Presentation: Our Coordinator Ignacio Llamas Introduces the Project at the SNS JU & 6G-IA Webinar to Showcase the Call 2 Projects

The last 14th of March, 2024, the European Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) organized a webinar to introduce the recently launched projects, giving an overview of their activities and ambitions, in which our coordinator from Centre Tecnològic de Telecomunicacions de Catalunya (CTTC), Ignacio Llamas, presented the 6G-REFERENCE project for the first time.

In January 2024, the second phase of the SNS JU 6G projects was launched, which is critical in establishing a solid research and innovation (R&I) foundation for Europe, defining the next-generation networks. Kostas Trichias, from the 6G Smart Networks and Services Industry Association (6G-IA), moderated the first part focused on the Streams B projects:

  • B2 – Wireless Communication Technologies and Signal Processing: 6G-DISAC (Philippe Sehier, Nokia Bells Lab), 6G-GOALS (Petar Popovski, Aalborg Universitet), 6G MUSICAL (Atilio Gameiro, Universidade de Aveiro), 6G-SENSES (Jesus Gutiérrez Terán, IHP), INSTINCT (Padmanava Sen, Barkhausen Institute), iSEE-6G (Konstantinos Maliatsos, Univ. of Piraeus).
  • B5 – Microelectronics-based Solutions for 6G Networks: 6G-REFERENCE (Ignacio Llamas, CTTC), FirstTo6G (Oner Hanay, InCirT GmbH), TeraGreen (Nuria Llombart Juan, TU Delft).
  • B6 – EU-US 6G R&I Cooperation: 6G-XCEL (Dan Kilper, Trinity College Dublin).

Before each project coordinator presented their projects, Colin Willcock, Chairman of the Board of the 6G-IA, highlighted that the 6G SNS JU is the voice of the European industry for the development and evolution of 6G, and remarked that “collaboration between projects is key to make 6G a success in Europe”. Pavlos Fournogerakis, Deputy Head of Programmes at 6G SNS JU, spoke about the 6G SNS JU and its 63 active projects goals, focusing on “moving form R&I to socio-economic progress”, and about the KPIs, including smart, but green network to meet the EU sustainability standards. Claudio Scalese, Project Officer at the 6G SNS JU, focused his presentation on the scope, orientation and expected outcomes of the Stream B-01-02, B-01-05 (where 6G-REFERENCE belongs) and B-01-06 projects.

The 6G-REFERENCE Presentation: 6G Hardware Enablers for Joint Communications and Sensing

Our coordinator Ignacio Llamas explained that 6G-REFERENCE is a collaboration between 10 research and industry partners from 8 European countries that involves the development of 6G hardware enablers for joint communications and sensing, including:

  1. In-Band MIMO full duplex transceiver innovations.
  2. Novel synchronization solutions. 
  3. Novel RF and antenna components.
  4. Dynamic filtering (at IF and integrated filtering at the antenna estate).

He also spoke about our goals and our four main challenges: the need for low cost and low power consumption; accurate time and frequency synchronization between Radio Units enabling coherent transmissions; the reuse of the same hardware for communications, sensing, and localization; and the coexistence with other services at the 10-15 GHz range.

Ignacio explained that the 10-15 GHz range is targeted since it not only provides new spectrum opportunities, but also efficiently balances the benefits and drawbacks of sub-6GHz and mm-wave solutions.

The figure above shows a simplified example of a Distributed MIMO system with only one cabled 6G-network node providing data and an accurate time and frequency reference. Radio Units/Access points cooperate to realize Over-the-Air Synchronization (OAS) via Full-Duplex Sync timeTx and timeRx signals (green) and data distribution/gathering (blue arrows).

“6G-REFERENCE will focus on the centimetre frequency range, since it is seen as an important frequency range where new frequency spectrum can be made available for 6G use cases that require outdoor and indoor mobility.” – Ignacio Llamas, 6G-REFERENCE coordinator from CTTC.

 

The Stream C, D and CSA Projects

Alex Kaloxylos, from the 6G-IA, moderated the second part of the session, starring the Stream C, D and CSA projects:

  • C – Complementary SNS experimental Pan-EU federated Infrastructure: SUNRISE-6G (Christos Verikoukis, ISI/ATHENA).
  • D – SNS Large Scale Trials and Pilots with Verticals: 6G-PATH (Ioannis Chochliouros, OTE), ENVELOPE Project (Lazaros Gkatzikis, ICCS).
  • CSA – SNS Societal Challenges: 6G4Society (Monique Calisti, Martel).

Chiara Mazzone, Project Officer at the 6G SNS JU, spoke about the scope, orientation and expected outcomes of these projects.

More about the 6G SNS JU

The European Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) is a Public-Private Partnership that aims to facilitate and develop industrial leadership in Europe in 5G and 6G networks and services. The SNS JU funds projects that shape a solid research and innovation (R&I) roadmap and deployment agenda by engaging a critical mass of European stakeholders and facilitating international cooperation on various 6G initiatives.

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