Björn Backe, Director of the Centre for Distance-Spanning Technology, Jaap van de Beek, Professor of Signal Processing and Michael Nilsson, project leader at the Centre for Distance-Spanning Technology, all at Luleå University of Technology.
5 September 2024
Luleå University of Technology tests 6G
As the first university in Sweden, Luleå University of Technology has been granted a spectrum licence by Post- och telestyrelsen (the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority). With this licence, the University can test 6G technology in a simulated mine environment. The 6G network is currently being built up in the underground lab at Luleå University of Technology.
“This is a tremendous opportunity for our research on telecommunications. The 6G testing will become an integral part of our initiative on future communications technology, where our goal is groundbreaking outputs. 6G, the sixth generation of wireless technology, will be able to meet the needs of society in the 2030s”, says Michael Nilsson, project leader at the Centre for Distance-Spanning Technology at Luleå University of Technology.
Today, an open 5G test bed for innovations already exists and is connected to the innovation net North Star run by Swedish operator Telia and telecom company Ericsson. The new spectrum licence enables the University to also do research on 6G and actively participate in the development of the new generation mobile network, 6G. The initial tests are conducted as part of the EU project SUNRISE 6G, in collaboration with University of Oulu, Finland.
“This is an important milestone in our striving to contribute to the development of 6G technology, which will be significant to the communication infrastructure of the future”, says Björn Backe, Director of the Centre for Distance-Spanning Technology.
The spectrum licence for 6G provides the opportunity to use radio transmitters specifically for tests that the Robotics and AI research group at Luleå University of Technology conducts in the underground lab.
“In this pioneering 6G installation our group will be investigating how we could integrate it in the area of Robotics and Automation in order to increase efficiency and overall safety of the operations in mines and other related harsh environments”, says George Nikolakopoulos, Professor of Robotics and Artificial Intelligence at Luleå University of Technology.
The fact that Luleå University of Technology has received the spectrum licence for 6G provides new opportunities for faster, more energy-efficient and more reliable wireless communication.
“The 6G technology has the potential to revolutionise the way people communicate and interact with digital systems, both in Sweden and globally. By being at the cutting edge of this development, Luleå University of Technology ensures that Luleå and Sweden continue to be the leaders of technological innovation,” says Jaap van de Beek, Professor of Signal Processing at Luleå University of Technology.
Contact
Michael Nilsson
- Project Manager
- 0920-492306
- michael.nilsson@ltu.se
- Michael Nilsson
Björn Backe
- Director, Head of Division
- 0920-492111
- bjorn.backe@ltu.se
- Björn Backe
George Nikolakopoulos
- Professor and Head of Subject
- 0920-491298
- george.nikolakopoulos@ltu.se
- George Nikolakopoulos
Jaap Van De Beek
- Professor, Chaired Professor
- 0920-493383
- jaap.vandebeek@ltu.se
- Jaap Van De Beek