All over the world, research and development activities related to the future mobile communication standard are intensifying network 6G, with companies and countries investing heavily in this technology. Bosch is at the forefront and is an active part of national and international projects, collaborations and initiatives to lay important foundations for 6G technology and is speaking about it at Mobile World Congress 2023.
Bosch involved in projects for a key role in defining the 6G network
“6G will be much more than an infrastructure for connectivity. It will substantially increase the efficiency of self-driving vehicles, smart cities and connected industry. For this, it is a technological field of strategic importance,” he said Andreas Müller, who manages Bosch initiatives related to 6G. “The company currently has around 40 employees studying this technology, a number that will probably double in the next two years,” said Müller. Bosch is investing several million euros in research and development for 6G.
Bosch and Nokia extend their cooperation for the 6G network
At Mobile World Congress 2023 in Barcelona, Bosch e Nokia have announced that their collaboration, which began in 2017 for the development of industrial IoT solutions in the 5G area, will be expanded to include the new 6G technology. The two companies are conducting joint research on the next generation of networks and are studying how to use 6G networks for communication and for sensors.
Bosch’s commitment to national and international initiatives
Bosch is currently participating in five publicly funded projects by making its expertise and experience available. Of these, i progetti 6G-ICAS4Mobility, KOMSENS-6G e 6G-BRAINS they deal in particular with the integration of communication and sensor-based environmental recognition.
Bosch is leading the first project which, in addition to examining road traffic scenarios, will use the knowledge gained as a technological basis for field applications of connected drones in driverless transport systems. The 6G-ANNA and 6G-SHINE projects, on the other hand, study the structures for the new connectivity, with the aim of enhancing the efficiency of future E/E architectures of vehicles or robotic cells.
In addition, Bosch will play an active role in preliminary consultations and work on future mobile communication standards in various industry collaborations. For example, in the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA), leading companies from the automotive and telecommunications sectors collaborate to develop solutions for the mobility of the future. The 5G Alliance for Connected Industries and Automation (5GACIA) brings together companies in the industrial sector to study the connectivity of machinery and equipment.
Networks with a sixth sense thanks to the integration of sensor technology
The next generation of mobile communication will integrate new features similar to radar sensors. 6G will make it possible to detect the position of objects in the network coverage area without these needing to be equipped with a radio module.
With 6G, data will be transmitted at faster speeds very high, up to one terabit per second, with a minimum latency, of the order of about 100 microseconds, or four times faster than lightning. With the help of digital twins it will therefore be possible, for example, to monitor and simulate real-world production processes in a virtual world, without limitations of time and space. Experts predict that the first 6G standard will be completed by 2028.
In the last months Germany and Europe they have initiated numerous 6G projects with the aim of strengthening their technological superiority. The German government, through the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (BMBF), will provide around 700 million euros over the next 3 years to finance 6G-related activities. The EU has allocated another 900 million euros until 2027. Also Japan and the USA have initiated similar investment programs totaling $4.5 billion.