In addition to faster data rates and more reliable services, the next generation of wireless networks – 6G – is expected to meet increasing demands for data transfer speed and coverage, plus new applications arising from artificial intelligence. Telecommunications is one of the many industries expected to be affected by artificial intelligence.
With AI, 6G will include connected intelligence, data exchange and aggregation for location and sensing applications with communications.
This means moving from timely and reliable data delivery to adaptive and efficient information processing, as well as computer and communication systems.
AI will also introduce more flexible network architectures that use software-defined elements such as Open Radio Access Networks (ORAN), a dynamic and programmable network architecture. The integration of artificial intelligence into ORAN’s flexible network architecture offers opportunities for wireless innovation in 6G, but requires strong cooperation and involvement from telecom operators.
6G research through EU-US partnership
In January, the 6G European Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking announced 28 research and innovation programs and pilot projects under Horizon Europe, the European Union’s seven-year scientific research initiative for technology research and development. Horizon Europe aims to understand how artificial intelligence will affect communication networks in terms of hardware design and software development. One of the projects is 6G Trans-Continental Edge Learning (6G-XCEL), a joint EU-US initiative.
The 6G-XCEL project brings together top research teams from major telecommunications operators, research institutes and universities to simplify network functions, share and manage network resources, and implement open source through intelligent software-based methods.
The project aims to build a first-class European supply chain for advanced 5G systems and technical capabilities for 6G wireless systems. And 6G-XCEL extends this vision through platforms and open source networking projects across continents.
This allows project partners and affiliates a unique advantage and opportunity to work in 6G, sharing critical experimental infrastructure and expertise.
The 6G-XCEL project plans to offer an open-source DMMAI (decentralized multiparty, multinetwork AI) platform that will operate methods in a scenario involving radio and optical networks. DMMAI will also enable researchers to conduct experiments, test and validate methods and tools developed with AI.
Information dissemination workshop
From September 30 to October 1, I attended the 6G-XCEL workshop held at the Wireless Information Networking Laboratory (WINLAB) at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, one of the key research and innovation institutes for experimental wireless communications research. As one of the team members representing Aalborg University in the 6G-XCEL project, I participated in a workshop to disseminate and discuss our recent research on the development of efficient wireless communication protocols. I gave a presentation on understanding the interplay between data value, the use of machine learning models, and timing considerations to support new communication paradigms in 6G systems.
The event was a joint effort with the Acceleration of Compatibility and Commercialization for ORAN Deployments (ACCoRD) program, a $42 million initiative funded by the US Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration. NTIA is led by major carriers including AT&T and Verizon. The workshop brought together leading experts and stakeholders from the wireless innovation community to explore advances and collaborations in 6G technology.
ACCoRD is designed to create affordable, accessible and accessible test and evaluation equipment for industry and academic researchers working on the next generation of wireless systems. ACCoRD test facilities are designed to support open and interoperable solutions developed by researchers – which can later be standardized and adopted for large-scale RAN deployment.
The workshop identified ways in which 6G-XCEL complements the ACCoRD vision. He addressed key challenges in adapting to the multi-functional and dynamic nature of 6G networks, such as AI-as-a-Service (AIaaS), decentralized network operations and orchestration, and energy-efficient integration of AI and communications.
AIaaS is a significant step towards making AI an integral part of network design and operation. AI-native communication systems are expected to offer solutions such as automated AI service management and network operations and distributed AI for network management.
“6G-XCEL is unique in that it does not explore a final solution, but rather a framework for further R&D, benchmarking and especially benchmarking across testbeds to accelerate progress on this important topic of AI for 6G.”
– Dan Kilper
Workshop presenters discussed ways to ensure access to critical network infrastructures for research and innovation activities in the EU, including exclusive testbeds such as OpenIreland, Patras5G/P-NET Testbed and Slices-RI.
Tutorials were provided on how to use the US open network testing platforms available through the ACCoRD project and COSMOS, one of the successful network projects led by WINLAB. The COSMOS project aims to design, develop and deploy an advanced urban-scale wireless testbed to support real-world experiments with next-generation wireless technologies and applications.
Tracy Van Brakle, senior member of the technical staff at AT&T Labs, emphasized the need for sustained and accessible testing resources and data as part of NTIA’s acceleration goals. Van Brakle encouraged greater collaboration across industries to test, evaluate, and standardize wireless technologies. She also highlighted the role that public-private partnerships play in enabling greater collaboration in the development of research and innovation in wireless technologies. She further explained how the 6G-XCEL program could be an opportunity for EU and US partners to spearhead the development of a new generation of communication systems.
Another speaker was Dan Kilper, Director of the CONNECT Center at Trinity College Dublin and Coordinator of the 6G-XCEL project.
Kilper said: “6G-XCEL is unique in that it does not explore a final solution, but rather a framework for further R&D, benchmarking and especially benchmarking across test rigs to accelerate progress on this important topic of AI for 6G.
“This workshop is so important because it brings together EU and US researchers from the COSMOS testbed to discuss the hardware first-hand and forge new collaborations.”
Ivan Seskar, Chief Technologist at WINLAB, said: “The EU-US collaboration on 6G, exemplified by projects such as ACCoRD and COSMOS, creates unique opportunities for scaling up 6G test facilities and developing interoperability frameworks.” Seskar is Program Director for COSMOS, responsible for the experimental systems and prototype projects.
“These efforts not only strengthen intercontinental innovation,” he said, “but also encourage industry and academic engagement in open source initiatives and ensure that research has practical, global applications.”
Towards a common vision of 6G
The ambitious 6G-XCEL project aims to achieve long-term strategic goals for the development of communication systems for partners in the EU and the USA. A major part of this effort is networking and collaboration between EU and US industry and partners with standards bodies. The 6G-XCEL project aims to communicate with several standards bodies including partners such as the 3rd Generation Partnership Project, the European Telecommunication Standards Institute and the International Telecommunication Union.
In this sense, 6G-XCEL stands out as a unique cooperative project that prioritizes the visibility of EU-US research initiatives in 6G and building a framework that is adaptive and used by others rather than a research project.
Participants at the 6G-XCEL-ACCoRD workshop at Rutgers agreed that making open-source projects like COSMOS financially viable and involving a larger community—which requires more funding and a bigger vision—will do.
