Nokia and IISc partner to explore 6G use cases focused on the needs of Indian society

Nokia announced on Friday that it has partnered with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to jointly research 6G technologies and 6G use cases that have a direct impact on society in India.

According to the release, Nokia and IISc will collaborate at Nokia’s newly opened 6G lab in Bangalore, where they will pursue three key research areas: These are the application of machine learning to 6G radio technology, 6G architecture, and 6G air interface.

“Nokia today announced that it is expanding its 6G commitment to India by partnering with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to jointly research 6G technologies and 6G use cases that have a direct impact on society in India. ” states the release.

The collaboration will develop reference architectures, software frameworks, and algorithms with the aim of contributing joint research to the 6G technology and standards ecosystem.

While the nature of the research is global, Nokia and IISc will focus specifically on 6G use cases that address areas of particular importance to India. These include building more sustainable and energy-efficient communication systems, improving network resilience and reliability for critical communications, and making transportation safer through the use of AI and the development of “network as sensor” technologies. These include improving gender equality, strengthening health care, and increasing access to education.

By focusing on these use cases, Nokia and IISc will help shape the evolution of mobile phone infrastructure to meet the social needs of large developing countries like India, while simultaneously supporting the entire global 6G ecosystem. We will continue to contribute to “India has become a global powerhouse in communications innovation and is playing a key role in the development of 6G,” the report said.

In October 2023, Nokia opened a 6G lab at its Global Research and Development Center in Bangalore. The facility aims to accelerate the development of foundational technologies and innovative use cases backed by 6G technology, as well as foster collaboration between Nokia and the Indian academic community. The collaboration with IISc is the first time such a partnership has come out of the lab.

It combines the academic strengths of India’s renowned research institutes with Nokia’s expertise in introducing cutting-edge mobile technologies to the world at scale.