The European Commission has launched the second phase of its 6G initiative, Hexa-X-II, which aims to position Europe as the leader in 6G technology while also addressing sustainability, inclusivity, and trustworthiness concerns. The project brings together 44 organisations, including network suppliers, communication service providers, technology providers, and research institutes.
The project’s design emphasises environmental sustainability, energy efficiency, security, privacy, and integrity. The main goal is to create a pre-standardised platform that meets the needs of society and business in the 2030s and a system view that will serve as the foundation for future 6G standardisation.
Hexa-X-II expands the scope of 6G networks beyond connectivity and data delivery to include computing, intelligence, and mapping functions. It addresses implementation aspects such as use cases, services, and requirements.
Hexa-X-II’s overall leader is Nokia, and the technical manager is Ericsson. The project started at the beginning of January 2023 and will run for 2.5 years.
To foster European success in creating the 6G network, Hexa-X-II has amassed a very strong consortium comprised of major industry stakeholders and renowned academics. Through global coherence and compatibility with standardisation efforts, the partners plan to disperse their findings while seeking feedback from corporate entities and society members as they work towards creating valuable services for the 6G platform. Hexa-X-II’s overall leader is Nokia, and the technical manager is Ericsson. The project started at the beginning of January 2023 and will run for 2.5 years.
The motivation for the Hexa-X-II project stems from the ongoing Hexa-X project, which has successfully developed a vision for 6G wireless networks and positioned itself at the centre of 6G development on a global scale, particularly in Europe. The key motivating factors for Hexa-X-II include technology push, society pull, and strategic autonomy.
The consortium, which includes organisations from 15 countries, is committed to fulfilling the project’s objectives by focusing on research and innovation for long-term impact, improved connectivity, cutting-edge digital services, and successful implementation. To achieve these goals, they plan to implement innovative strategies such as creating a 6G platform that provides value-focused services, verifying the concept through proof implementations, and developing a roadmap for deploying 6G technology.
Hexa-X-II is anticipated to contribute significantly towards numerous ongoing and future social changes, such as climate change, resource constraints, connecting the less privileged members of society, data privacy and security. Additionally, it has the potential to help in industrial transformation initiatives like the digitalisation of industry sectors, developing new business models, and creating novel technologies and services.