Digital Catapult joins UK 6G research programmeDigital Catapult joins UK 6G research programme

Led by the University of Bristol’s Smart Internet Lab, the JOINER platform has tasked itself with accelerating the adoption of future communication and networking technologies, such as 6G. It brings together 11 universities and research organisations towards this goal.

Digital Catapult will integrate its Autonomous Network Service Management and Orchestration System into JOINER, “enabling the creation of intelligent, resilient 6G networks capable of adapting to changing demands from UK industry,” states the release.

The problem with getting involved with the development next-generation networks is that it costs a lot of money and therefore creates barriers for smaller organisations, we’re told, but Digital Catapult’s network of testbeds provide access to resources that help organisations “apply deep tech innovations to solve complex challenges.”

It points to a collaboration with the University of Bristol, in which it demonstrated “advanced interdomain service orchestration”. This is supposed to enable coordination across diverse networks, support advanced applications such as holographic video calls, and advancing innovation in the immersive space. It also reduces latency, enhances reliability, and dynamically allocates resources, ensuring “optimal performance” for immersive and bandwidth-heavy experiences, we’re told.   

Digital Catapult also highlights its Open RAN Interoperability testing facilities which it describes as a “world-class environment for validating and optimising solutions.” 

In a similar vein the JOINER platform is pitched as supporting early commercialisation and proof-of-concept testing for next-generation networks, convening capabilities from around the UK, and enabling deep tech companies to scale faster. It allows industry and academia to gather experimental evidence, translate research, and validate services under real-world conditions, states the release.   

“We are thrilled to be among the first sites connected to the JOINER platform, a significant step forward in the evolution of future communications and networks research and innovation capabilities in the UK,” said Dritan Kaleshi, Director of 5G Technology at Digital Catapult. “This collaboration with University of Bristol, and the interconnection with all the other JOINER nodes, highlights our role as a key enabler in telecoms innovation, bringing academia, industry, our leading technical expertise and independent facilities together to drive tangible technical progress and deliver benefits for the UK’s economy and society.” 

Professor Dimitra Simeonidou, Director of Smart Internet Lab, University of Bristol, added: “The JOINER platform is going to revolutionalise the way we undertake telecoms R&D and innovation in the UK. By creating a national experimentation platform and having leading organisations such as Digital Catapult connected to it, we’ll be able to accelerate the rate at which we can collaborate and innovate, ultimately driving UK growth and global advancements in future telecoms.” 

Both organisations have similar mission statements in terms of enabling particularly smaller operations and academic bodies in the UK collaborate and drum up some technologies that might amalgamate into future networks, so teaming up would seem to make sense. Working out what 6G ends up being, and how it is distinct from 5G still seems like a question that’s not going to be answered anytime soon, however.