In the latest of a series of developments designed to push the frontiers of mobile communications, the University of Oulu has announced that it will be home to a new €1.4m research and development project, 6G-Rocket, designed to accelerate AI and machine learning solutions for future 6G radio access networks (RANs).
Finland’s University of Oulu is regarded as a leading centre for the development of advanced communications technologies. It has had, for the past few years or so, 5G non-standalone and standalone networks on campus, testing 2-, 4- and 6-beam 5G solutions, and has a frequency licence for 3.5GHz/60MHz across the university campus.
This has supported 5G outdoors with macro coverage and indoor equipment. It also investigates cellular internet of things (IoT), and the campus has more than 400 sensor platforms, supporting LoRa and NB-IoT connectivity.
From the outset of the formation of the next generation of mobile, the University of Oulu has been well set up for mobile communications research. Its 6G research has three main component programmes: 6G Finland 6G SNS, Business Finland’s 6G Bridge programme and 6G Flagship. The latter is said to be the world’s first 6G research programme and the core of activity at the university.
A national research flagship beginning in 2018 and having entered its second phase in May 2022, 6G Flagship was backed to the tune of around €250m by 2024 and is set to run until the end of 2026. It has involved more than 500 researchers from 50 nationalities, and by 2024 had generated 13 6G whitepapers, 2,700 peer-reviewed papers and 100 doctoral theses.
At the heart of the new 6G research is the notion that, currently, most mobile networks are reactive, relying on manual adjustments and separate AI tools. 6G-Rocket aims to change this by creating RAN technologies with embedded artificial intelligence (AI) that proactively anticipate needs. The project covers AI-native RAN designs, real-time digital twins for network optimisation and control, the use of graphics processing units (GPUs) to accelerate testing platforms, multi-sensor perception for better awareness, and autonomous network management based on intent.
The project will look to put AI directly into the radio access network, making intelligence a native part of the RAN architecture rather than an add-on capability. This approach builds proactive capabilities into the network from the start. This makes the network flexible and scalable, rather than simply adding a perception system to existing networks.
6G Flagship is leading the new programme, supported by Business Finland’s 6G Bridge programme. The project includes participation from Nokia, Nvidia, DNA, Keysight and MediaTek, along with Northeastern University (Boston) and the University of Tokyo as international partners.
Each partner in the consortium has committed to bringing in their complementary expertise. 6G Flagship brings with it its wireless research and the University of Oulu’s 5G/6G test network infrastructure. Nokia, in turn, offers expertise in mobile network systems and AI-native RAN evolution. Nvidia provides AI-RAN infrastructure and AI Aerial open source software libraries and tools.
Keysight will contribute expertise in digital twin technologies, including simulation, testing and validation capabilities. MediaTek provides chipsets and user equipment expertise. DNA offers operator insight and real-world network experience. Northeastern University and the University of Tokyo add international research collaboration to align the work with global AI-RAN and 6G efforts.
Over the next two years, 6G-Rocket will create technology blueprints and prototype demos to prepare for smart, sensing-enabled AI-RAN and future 6G networks. The project also plans to establish an AI-RAN Perception Lab at the University of Oulu. This lab will support ongoing collaboration between universities and industry, and help Finland remain a leader in 6G and AI-native wireless research.
Besides technology, the project aims to strengthen Finland’s broader 6G plans and global reputation, build local expertise in AI-native RAN and wireless innovation, encourage new international partnerships, and grow Finland’s workforce and skills in AI and wireless communications.
The project builds on a GPU-accelerated AI-RAN testbed connected to the University of Oulu’s 5G/6G Test Network. The project aims to advance global progress in AI-RAN by combining 6G Flagship’s wireless research with its partners’ industry experience.
“6G-Rocket is about building the foundations for AI-native mobile networks where communication, sensing and intelligence work together seamlessly. Our goal is to move beyond simulations and demonstrate practical AI-RAN technologies in GPU-accelerated testbeds,” explained Dileepa Marasinghe, AI-RAN research manager at 6G Flagship at the University of Oulu. “Through this project, Finland continues to strengthen its leadership in 6G research, innovation and future wireless ecosystems.”
Soma Velayutham, vice-president of telecoms at Nvidia, added: “By integrating intelligence directly into the radio access network with AI-RAN, we are turning the base station from a signal processor into a high-performance computing node that can also interpret changes in the physical environment. It allows the network to see, reason and react in milliseconds, which is essential for robotics. The 6G-Rocket project is advancing 6G research for physical intelligence, helping developers build, test and optimise their next breakthrough on Nvidia AI-RAN platforms.”
Sari Leppänen, chief technology officer at DNA, said: “As an operator, we want to help ensure that future network technologies are developed around real customer needs and can be tested in practical environments from an early stage. 6G-Rocket brings together world-class research, technology companies and operator experience in a highly valuable way.”
