Open6GHub

A new generation of wireless communications networks appears approximately every 10 years, and when 5G technology still hasn’t reached its maturity, the discussion about what a 6G network could potentially be, has already started. Open6GHub is a project which brings 17 research institutions together to work on a broad range of relevant technologies from both theoretical and practical perspectives, in order to contribute to the European 6G harmonization and standardization process.  Additionally, Open6GHub aims to build a beyond-5G ecosystem (testbeds, demonstrators, laboratories), and to train experts in the field of radio technologies for the moment when active phase of 6G standardization finally begins. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) funds the projects with almost 70 million euros, and it covers the timespan from 2021 to 2025. 

 FAU is key partner in the Open6GHub and is represented by three chairs, coordinated by the chair of Electrical Smart City Systems (ESCS), which actively participates in such areas as coherent Joint Communications and Sensing (JCAS) networks and the hardware implementation of their key components. In close collaboration with other Open6GHub partners, FAU studies the new methods in the areas of 6G radio communication, radio localization, network resilience and designs a scalable broadband test platform for radio and sensing. 

The head of ESCS Chair, Professor Norman Franchi is the FAU project leader of the work package focusing on adaptive RAN technologies. His working group aims to bring together technologies and functions for 6G radio (Air Interface) and 6G sensing, Joint (Radio) Communications & Sensing (JCAS), and to explore new architectures, methods, and protocols for highly reliable real-time industrial radio solutions (6G Industrial Radio) as well as private and local networks (6G campus networks). In this context, the utilization of the frequency ranges Sub-6 GHz, 26 GHz to THz will be addressed. Additionally, ESCS is involved in investigations on topics of Resilience-by-Design and Security-by-Design. 

More information: https://www.open6ghub.de/en/