VIAVI researching the future of telecoms in £12M UK project
VIAVI Solutions is right at home at the cutting edge of new telecom technology, whether it’s O-RAN, 6G or non-terrestrial radio networks. Innovations like these aren’t easy, and we’re here to work alongside other leaders in the Telco space to test new solutions, optimize performance, ensure conformance, or help develop new standards.
With this in mind, we’re thrilled to be involved in the new TUDOR (Towards Ubiquitous 3D Open Resilient Network) research project, which has been awarded a £12M research grant from the UK government to advance Telecoms networks. The project, which involves a consortium of UK universities and international operators and vendors, aims to solve big challenges such as the digital divide and energy efficiency through research and innovation in open network components.
The project will explore and expand on Open RAN principles, looking into new open network components while focusing on both their technical capabilities as well as interoperability in the wider RAN and core. This research will cover 5G and 6G, with a view to developing future standards, building new IPs and creating greater skills and knowledge within the industry.
VIAVI will not only provide integration and testing solutions on 6G but will also participate and co-lead some 6G research and innovation work including: 6G 3D channel modelling, 3D RAN digital twin, and semantic communication.
5G/6G Innovation Centre at the University of Surrey
The project will be based at the 5G/6G Innovation Centre at the University of Surrey, while other members of the consortium include:
- Amazon Web Service
- BAE Systems
- British Telecom
- Ericsson
- Nokia
- OneWeb
- Tactical Wireless
- Toshiba
- VirginMedia
- O2
- AMD
- Fujitsu
- NetRail
- Qualcomm
With the rapid global pace of innovation across the telecommunications industry, the research should be significant for the continued evolution of O-RAN and its overall goal of creating a more diverse Telco market. As the industry begins to look ahead to 6G, large-scale collaborative research projects like this one will be key in testing and developing new hardware, solutions, and industry standards.
UK government’s Future Open Networks Research Challenge
The £12 million in funding for the TUDOR project came as part of the UK government’s Future Open Networks Research Challenge. This initiative brings together universities, larger RAN vendors, and other Telco organizations to drive innovation and research into new open networks. The broad aims of the wider project include supporting interoperability and openness of future network architectures, strengthening UK influence in Standards Development Organizations (SDOs) as well as supporting the UK’s telecoms research and development capabilities.
VIAVI is very much looking forward to getting started on this new project in 2023, and are positive that the results should show great progress for the industry and society, as we discover new testing challenges and opportunities in 6G networks.
Learn more about VIAVI 5G and 6G solutions.
