New Partnerships Propel Engineers Forward in 5G and 6G Development

2025-03-27 wireless

Berlin, Thursday, 27 March 2025.
Innovative partnerships focus on enhancing 5G and 6G, targeting RF power consumption and AI-driven data compression, crucially aiding global engineers in creating advanced wireless networks.

Strategic Industry Collaborations

Major technology leaders are forming crucial partnerships to accelerate 6G development. NVIDIA has recently established collaborations with T-Mobile, MITRE, Cisco, and other industry leaders to develop AI-native wireless networks for 6G technology [2]. This initiative, announced during NVIDIA’s GTC event in March 2025, aims to integrate artificial intelligence into next-generation networks from their inception, potentially revolutionizing spectral efficiency and network performance [2]. Meanwhile, Rohde & Schwarz and Murata have joined forces to address power efficiency challenges in both 5G and 6G technologies, with Murata introducing Digital Envelope Tracking technology to optimize power delivery in RF circuits [1].

European Investment and Innovation

The European Union has demonstrated substantial commitment to 6G development through the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU), allocating a significant budget of €900 million for 2021-2027, with matching private sector contributions [3]. This investment is further strengthened by strategic digital partnerships, including recent agreements with Japan and the Republic of Korea, focusing on semiconductor development, AI integration, and advanced connectivity solutions [4]. The European Space Agency has also entered a pivotal partnership with the Mobile Satellite Services Association to advance space-based 5G and 6G networks, aiming to bridge the digital divide across Europe [5].

Technical Specifications and Future Roadmap

The technical trajectory for 6G is becoming increasingly clear, with commercial deployment expected in the early 2030s [6]. The technology promises several hundred gigabits per second data rates and sub-millisecond latency in specific scenarios [6]. Networks will utilize various frequency bands, including cmWave ranging from 7-15 GHz for early deployments, while sub-THz bands will enable extreme data rates for applications such as holographic communication [6]. Notably, NVIDIA’s simulations have demonstrated a 40% improvement in spectral efficiency when implementing neural networks for channel estimation [7].

Implementation Challenges

Despite the promising advancements, industry experts highlight significant challenges in implementation. The Pentagon has recently emphasized the need for increased industry collaboration in open radio access network (O-RAN) capabilities [8]. Major telecommunications equipment manufacturers, including Ericsson and Nokia, have expressed caution regarding the economic viability of GPU-based AI RAN implementations [7]. SoftBank’s research head, Ryuji Wakikawa, indicates plans for limited GPU-equipped site deployment within the next year, suggesting a measured approach to adoption [7].

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5G 6G