Ericsson has announced it will invest tens of millions of pounds over the next decade to establish a new research unit in the UK focused on 6G research and other “breakthrough innovations”.

The telecoms giant said it anticipates 6G will become available by the 2030s, and that it will merge the digital and physical world, contribute to a more intelligent, sustainable and efficient society and help deliver new use cases that include multi-sensory extended reality, precision healthcare, smart agriculture, robots, and intelligent autonomous systems.

Ericsson’s research programmes at the new unit will focus on 6G and 6G-adjacent areas including network resilience and security, AI, cognitive networks, and energy efficiency.

The programme will employ 20 researchers and PhD students will have the opportunity to work alongside leading academics, CSPs and industry partners to lead 6G research projects that contribute to the development of global technology, network innovation and new product solutions, the company said.

“Ericsson's investment is a huge vote of confidence in the UK's innovative telecoms sector,” said Michelle Donelan, Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) secretary. “This pioneering research unit will create new jobs, support students and bring together some of our country's finest minds to shape the future of telecoms infrastructure in the UK and across the globe.”

Donelan added: "Our mission is to lead the world in developing next-generation network tech, and we will soon publish a strategy outlining how we harness 6G to deliver more for people and business."

The news follows Ericsson's pair-up with BT for the delivery of commercial 5G private networks.

Share Story: