Highlight

• Nokia sets up India’s first 6G lab for advanced technology development, inaugurated by India’s Minister of Railways, Communications, Electronics & IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw.
• The lab is designed to accelerate the development of essential technologies and pioneering use cases.

Nokia has introduced its cutting-edge 6G lab, a groundbreaking venture situated at its Global Research and Development centre in Bengaluru, India.

This pioneering project aims to expedite the progress of crucial technologies and innovative applications, all driven by the transformative capabilities of 6G technology.

These advancements are geared towards meeting the future needs of various industries and society at large.

The virtual inauguration of this advanced lab was conducted by India’s Minister of Railways, Communications, Electronics & IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw.

During the event, Vaishnaw emphasized the lab’s potential to nurture fascinating applications, particularly in domains such as transportation safety, healthcare, and education.
These developments are poised to make substantial contributions to India’s broader Digital India initiative.

Nokia’s 6G lab is designed to be a collaborative hub for industry players, creating an interactive space for experimenting with inventive solutions and evaluating their viability for market use.

A significant emphasis within the lab is placed on researching ‘Network as a Sensor’ technology, which empowers networks to detect objects, individuals, and motion without relying on onboard sensors.

This experimental setup will also facilitate studies in algorithms, privacy, and eco-friendly system design.

To understand the significance of this initiative, let’s understand more about 6G technology.

Speaking on the occasion, the Hon’ble Minister of Railways, Communications, Electronics & IT, Government of India, Mr Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “The inauguration of the Nokia 6G research lab in Bengaluru today is another step towards PM Narendra Modi’s vision of making India an innovation hub. Interesting use cases coming out of this lab will be related to transportation safety, health care and education which will be another big contribution in the entire Digital India suite.”

Nishant Batra, Chief Strategy and Technology Officer, Nokia said: “Nokia is honored to contribute towards the realization of the Indian government’s ‘Bharat 6G vision’. We look forward to collaborating with key stakeholders to help India become a major player in 6G technology development and adoption; and take its place in the global arena as a leading developer and supplier of advanced telecom technologies and solutions.”

What is 6G Technology?

6G, or sixth-generation wireless technology, represents the next evolutionary step in the world of telecommunications.

While 5G technology is still in the process of being rolled out globally, researchers and scientists are already looking ahead to what comes next.

6G is envisioned to be a revolutionary advancement over 5G, offering significantly faster internet speeds, lower latency, and more reliable connections.

It is expected to operate in the terahertz frequency range, enabling data transfer rates that are orders of magnitude faster than current technologies.

This means downloading massive files almost instantaneously and streaming high-quality, immersive content seamlessly.

However, 6G is not just about speed. It’s also anticipated to introduce groundbreaking technologies and capabilities, including:

• Advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI): 6G networks will leverage AI and machine learning algorithms to optimize network resources dynamically, enhancing efficiency and performance. AI will also play a crucial role in enabling intelligent automation and network management.
• Holographic Communication: 6G might introduce holographic displays and communication, enabling realistic, three-dimensional virtual interactions. This could revolutionize teleconferencing, gaming, education, and various other applications.
• Ubiquitous Connectivity: 6G aims to provide seamless connectivity everywhere, including remote and underserved areas, making it truly ubiquitous. This universal access could bridge digital divides and empower communities worldwide.
• Sustainability: 6G networks are expected to be designed with sustainability in mind, incorporating energy-efficient technologies and eco-friendly practices to reduce their environmental impact.
• Integration with Other Technologies: 6G is anticipated to integrate with emerging technologies such as quantum computing, enabling highly secure communication networks. It could also interface with Internet of Things (IoT) devices on an unprecedented scale, facilitating a vast array of applications and services.

Bharat 6G Mission

The research and start-up ecosystem will be tapped to bring innovations and new ideas to the table.

Adequate provisions for financial support will be made available. The Mission will be completed in two phases:

• Phase 1 from 2023-2025 (2 years)
• Phase 2 from 2025-2030 (5 years)

Bharat 6G Mission – Objectives

• Facilitate and finance Research and Development, design and development of 6G technologies by Indian Startups/Companies/Research bodies/Universities;
• Enable India to become a leading global supplier of IP, products and solutions of affordable 6G telecom solutions;
• Deploy 6G technologies to act as a powerful force multiplier for India@2030;
• Enable inclusive and significant enhancement in the quality of living experience of citizens in India and across the world.

FAQs

Q1. Who is developing 6G technology?

Answer. Governments, telecommunications providers, infrastructure companies, academic institutions and industry leaders are all currently developing tech for 6G networks. For instance, South Korea’s Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute is working on terahertz frequency bands for faster speeds.

Q2. Is India working on 6G technology?

Answer. India is catalyzing the next-generation 6G research and innovation in the country to enable India to be a front-line contributor in 6G technology and manufacturing by 2030.

Q3. Which country will launch 6G first?

Answer. China has successfully launched the world’s first 6G satellite namely “UESTC” satellite (Star Era-12)” into orbit with an aim to test communications from space using high-frequency terahertz (THz) spectrum.

Q4. When can we expect 6G to roll out in India?

Answer. 6G is expected to be available around 2030. That’s the estimate of most experts, considering that new wireless communication standards emerge about every decade.

Q5. What are the disadvantages of a 6G network?

Answer. The disadvantages of 6G networks might include high implementation costs, potentially leading to limited accessibility. Additionally, there could be concerns about privacy and security due to the integration of advanced technologies. Lastly, the environmental impact of such powerful networks, especially in terms of energy consumption, might raise sustainability issues.

Q6. Nokia opens 6G Lab in India.Details?

Ans) Highlights
·        Nokia launches first-of-its-kind 6G Lab in India; research areas will include foundational 6G technologies like Network as a Sensor, Network Exposure and Automation.
·        The 6G Lab is milestone for Nokia in contributing to the ‘Bharat 6G Vision,’ which aims to position India as a key global contributor to the design, development, and implementation of 6G technology; the project also highlights Nokia’s commitment to the Indian market.
·        Nokia’s lab will be a platform for future collaboration for industry and academic stakeholders on 6G and facilitate the testing of new solutions while establishing their potential for commercialization.

Nokia tannounced that it has established a 6G Lab at its Global R&D center in Bangalore, India.
The first-of-its-kind project aims to accelerate the development of fundamental technologies and innovative use cases underpinned by 6G technology that will address the future needs of both industry and society.
The Lab was inaugurated virtually by the Hon’ble Minister of Railways, Communications, Electronics & IT, Government of India, Mr Ashwini Vaishnaw.

Nokia’s 6G lab supports the Government of India’s ‘Bharat 6G Vision,’ introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, that envisions a key global role for India in the standardization, development, and implementation of 6G technology.
The Lab will function as a platform for collaboration for industry stakeholders and facilitate the testing of innovative solutions while establishing their potential for commercialization.

The Lab includes a setup to research ‘Network as a Sensor’ technology that enables the network to sense objects, people and movement without the need for on-board sensors. In the 6G era, ’Network as a Sensor’ has been identified as a key enabling technology that supports the vision of bringing the digital and physical worlds together.
Sensing will be fully integrated into the wireless network and operate simultaneously with communication services.
This has the potential to enable people to see around corners, gather information about their surroundings and even interact with objects at a distance. The Lab will also provide an experimental platform for researching algorithms, privacy, and sustainable system design.

Nokia is a pioneer in 6G work and is engaged in several global projects and regional initiatives with industry peers, customers, academia, and research institutions.
This work aims to form a common view and direction for 6G, including 6G Hexa-X and Hexa-X-II, the first and second phase of the European 6G Flagship.
Nokia is also a founding member of the Next G Alliance which is helping to drive the 6G ecosystem in North America and coordinating the German Lighthouse project 6G ANNA.

Q7. What are the Potential 6G Use cases?

Ans) Healthcare

6G will enable hospitals to access patients on demand and in an emergency. Future ambulances will be fully AI-enabled and connected to the infrastructure. As a result, Hospital-to-Home (H2H) will be implemented as a mobile hospital on an intelligent vehicle platform with little reliance on hospitals, including doctors and nurses. Intelligent Wearable Devices (IWD) connected to the Internet will send psychological and physiological data (such as heartbeat, blood pressure, blood tests, health conditions, body weight, and nutrition) to testing and monitoring centres.

Agriculture

Smart Agriculture using 6G-IoT and AI
To create an intelligent predictive system using IoT and AI/ML approaches to anticipate yield, irrigation schedule, pesticide schedule, and crop health information.

Defence & Internal Security
Battlefield Surveillance

With the integration of sensors, drones, and satellites, an unmanned surveillance grid mapping every inch of the border (high-accuracy localisation) will improve operational efficiency by delivering real-time inputs to commanders in field formations.

Security protocol

In collaboration with academia and industry, a new protocol for authentication and key management in 6G may be created.

Dynamic Radio Illumination of Battlefield

With improved beamforming techniques now available in 5G, 6G should include dynamic radio coverage in a heterogeneous environment based on operation progress.

Digital Twin of Battlefield

The digital twin can be used to imitate the real-time dynamic interplay between the virtual and actual battlefields to give an automated flow of information in operations.

Disaster Response

6G Offerings Specific to Disaster Management
Tiny Instant Communications in a Very High Volume.
Above and beyond best effort and high-precision communications, as well as lossless networking and latency guarantees.
Several Networks (Satellite, MEC, Dense network).
Intelligent Connected Management and Control features, Programmability, and Integrated Sensing and Communication.
Other Disaster Management Use cases
The mining industry requires smart technology for real-time worker safety monitoring as well as remote teleoperation of mining equipment. Difficult wireless propagation medium, including the need for ad-hoc network construction, excellent localization capabilities, sensing capabilities, etc.

Transportation/Air Mobility

For Urban Air Mobility (UAM), 6G will be necessary. These electric vertical take-offs and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for passengers would be highly useful in cities such as Mumbai and Bangalore, where peak hour traffic is one of the most difficult difficulties. The market for eVTOL Air Taxis is predicted to grow to $14.7 billion by 2041. “Safe” Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), safeguard vulnerable road users. Innovations in Location/Speed Sensing will be necessary to improve Safety metrics.

Education

There are numerous prospects in the Education sector, such as remote learning. However, another major aspect is an effective infrastructure for exam administration. 6G will allow video to transfer at such a high speed and adjacent edge processing will aid in compliance management. All major examinations, including JEE and NEET, can use 6G in exam administration.

Metaverse

Metaverse requires a real-time experience between what a person does and what their avatar performs, with no lag, hence very low latency. This necessitates super-fast, super-reliable, and everywhere network connectivity. Additionally, support the transition from 2D to 3D, holographic displays as processing power advances.

Also Read: Explained – What is the Difference Between 4G, 5G, and 6G Networks?

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