Editorial

Dear readers,

As we lay the groundwork for 6G, the balance between progress and preservation is critical. While the next generation of wireless technology, promises phygital ie seamlessly integrate both the physical and digital worlds. This is quite exciting, but it must not come at the expense of our planet. Through collaboration, innovation, and commitment to sustainability, we can ensure that 6G becomes a beacon of responsible technological advancement.

With this vision, efforts are directed to create a unified 6G, driven by key stakeholders worldwide, evolving to global consensus. The European perspective, represented by the 6G Smart Networks and Services Industry Association (6G-IA), underlines Europe´s proactive role in 6G Research and Development (R&D) and standardisation, addressing societal, environmental, economic and market challenges.

To understand the implications of sustainability in 6G, we reached out to leading expert from Nokia, for an exclusive interview for the Eurescom message and gathered insights on the core value of sustainability for ICT industry.

This issue of Eurescom message magazine features a diverse range of articles on various ICT-related activities including learnings derived from the Sustainability Task force of the Smart Network and Services initiative,Technology board. The TB of the SNS JU oversees and supports the technical work of SNS Projects and the implementation of the SNS-Initiative. One of the most important task forces is the Sustainability Task Force, created in 2023 which monitors the project activities and advocate the need for a globally accepted framework that must have specific and measurable indicators to evaluate the success in meeting sustainability goals.

When sustainability becomes a key aspect of innovation, the results are not only impactful but also enduring. This is the aim of projects led by Eurescom, the EU funded Project PAROMA-MED aims to develop novel technologies, tools, services and architectures for patients, health professionals, data scientists and health domain businesses and share their Sustainable practices that enable Privacy Awareness and Privacy Preserving Distributed services and applications in medical sector.

In the article “How can 6G-SANDBOX as an experimental platform contribute to assess sustainability?” you get the glimpse of 6G-SANDBOX experimental facility and how it is being developed to validate concepts and ideas around sustainability.

In this edition, the KENNEDY Perspective on “Sustainable sustainability” reflects on the evolution of telecommunications networks and how techno-economic balancing act between the costs of providing the connectivity versus the costs of the materials and equipment is critical! And the final search to the answer: how to deliver services at a reasonable affordable price to the consumers?

With Eurescom’s active engagement, we showcased our participation at the EuCNC & 6G Summit 2024, and made a significant impact at the Summit with representation of SNS OPS & SNS ICE projects via the SNS JU booth, organization of workshop titled “Non-Terrestrial Networks and Terrestrial Networks Unification – from Vision to Reality”, presentation and demonstration from projects CENTRIC and CHARITY, Moderating the SNS JU Workshop, promoting the need for inclusion and diversity and presenting at the WiTaR Working Group Session etc.

Continuing the trend, the FUSECO Forum was another Strategic telecommunications industry event where we presented, on the sustainability needs, challenges faced by 6G and Verticals, and the actions required to address these challenges. As a part of the INPACE Support Action the workshop on the Digital Partnerships between the EU and the Republic of Korea, Japan, and Singapore, was organized. At the exhibition space, project 6G-SANDBOX presented and demonstrated the latest project results. The vision for integrating Terrestrial Network(TN) and Non Terrestrial Network(NTN) for 5G-Advanced, focusing on network disaggregation, multi-connectivity, and space edge computing, was also presented.

Additionally, Eurescomians participated in several other high-profile events like Berlin 6G Conference, Digital-Gipfel, NEM Summit 2024, 5G Techritory etc. reaffirming our dedication to driving advancements in next-generation communication technologies, with a focus on 6G by engaging in collaborative workshops, panel discussions, and strategic initiatives.

We continue to shape the future of telecom, tackling key industry and leading role in 6G innovation with the launch of the new Horizon Europe SUSTAIN-6G and SNS CO-OP projects starting in January 2025.

As the digital transformation of global economies accelerates, fostering international cooperation in digital technology has become essential. To support this vision, the EU-funded INPACE project was launched in January 2024 plays an important role in supporting the implementation and advancement of the Digital Partnerships established between the European Union and key Indo-Pacific countries, including Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Singapore, and through the Trade and Technology Council with India.

My editorial colleagues and I are confident that you will find valuable insights in this edition of Eurescom’s Message. We warmly welcome your feedback on the current issue and invite your suggestions for topics to explore in future editions. Let us know if you are interested to join forces with us!

Happy reading!

Pooja Mohnani
Editor-in-chief

Sustainability 6G

Editorial

Dear readers,

The evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI) traces decades back, from an idea conceptualization in the halls of academia to its use in real-world scenarios. In this ever-evolving technological landscape, transformative influence of artificial intelligence across various sectors has a profound and disruptive impact on us. As we make new learnings every day the evolution and revolution of AI seems like an ongoing process, marked by continuous innovation and exploration.

Eurescom embraces more than three decades of experience in managing multinational collaborative R&D projects, programmes, and initiatives in the ICT sector. It recognises the need for aligning technology development with a value-based consideration and prioritization of different economic and social outcomes in the development of 6G networks, in the context of EU research funding frameworks. Hence, in the first article of the cover theme, we attempt to present “The Role of AI/ML in Key Value Indicator Analysis” and propose a value-driven AI technology development which is one of the important drivers in the development of innovative 6G technology.

This issue is a innovative collection of inside view of selected EU research activities from the plethora of projects that present the diverse R&D activities taking place at Eurescom. The article from the project PAROMA-MED presents how researchers are pushing the boundaries of AI capabilities, tackling new challenges, to “Empowering Collaborative Intelligence: The Federated learning approach” and promise advancements in health applications.

As we stand at the vertex of a new era, we recognize not only the revolutionary potential of AI but also its evolutionary journey; the project CENTRIC contributes to “AI Techniques for the 6G AI-AI” and develops a sustainable AI-native Air-Interface for 6G networks and utilizes advances in machine learning (ML) to enable the development and discovery of efficient waveforms, custom modulations, and transceivers for the physical layer as well as customized lightweight communication protocol and sustainable radio resource management.

Whilst the AI – Telecommunications landscape explores new dimensions, in the article “AI/ML in Telecommunications Networks” authors delve into the multifaceted role of AI/ML in shaping the future of telecommunication networks, and provide recommendations concerning the future availability of large data sets, which are necessary for training and benchmarking algorithms.

As AI continues to evolve, our approach towards its development and deployment, the “Innovations using AI/ML in project 6G-BRAINS”, attempt for seamless and efficient wireless connectivity. Presented are innovative approaches to network resource management and spectrum utilization using cutting-edge AI technologies.

The edition includes a very interesting and retrospective article – the KENNEDY Perspective on “AI or not AI”. Will AI help us to succeed? How will AI help me in real life? as there is a juggle on whether to trust these systems and to what extent!

This issue further covers a variety of articles on different, ICT-related activities. Under “Events”, we report about participation of Eurescom projects at MWC Barcelona 2024, the world’s largest telecoms event where technology, community and commerce converge. In our “News in brief” section, we update about what’s new at Eurescom – a short overview on the newly started projects.

Finally, in the latest “A bit beyond” we engage in crucial AI act that is recently passed in the European Parliament and it awaits reading in the EU Council.

Together with my editorial colleagues I believe that you will find value in this edition of Eurescom’s message, and we would appreciate your comments on the current issue as well as suggestions for future issues.

Enjoy reading our magazine!

Pooja Mohnani
Editor-in-chief

Editorial

Dear readers,

Extended Reality, short XR, is getting real, moving from hyped prototypes to concrete applications for different vertical markets. With the growing capabilities of networks and cloud solutions, demanding XR applications are getting more and more the conditions they need to fulfil their potential. While many technological challenges still need to be addressed, the huge potential of XR has started to rapidly unfold.

As Eurescom is leading the EU-funded project CHARITY, which is at the forefront of network-related XR research in Europe, we are able to present in this issue of Eurescom message an inside view of selected European R&D activities in the XR domain. While two articles are directly related to the CHARITY project, we also present other selected EU research activities to provide an idea of the variety of R&D activities taking place.

In the first article of the cover theme, Eurescom message editors Milon Gupta and Uwe Herzog, the coordinator of the CHARITY project, give an overview on facts and trends around XR.

In the next article, a team of authors from CHARITY partner ORamaVR present their solution for XR-based medical training.

The following article by Zbyszek Ledwoń from Polish SME Orbital Knight explores the future of augmented reality gaming and shares related insights from the CHARITY project.

In our exclusive cover theme interview, Didier Stricker from DFKI, the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence, shares his insights on current activities and future trends in the XR domain.

In the following article, a team of authors from InterDigital Europe explore the implications of XR applications for networks.

In the final article of the cover theme, Paul Muschamp from BT presents XR experimentation use cases performed on a 5G testbed of the 5G-VINNI project.

This edition of Eurescom message also includes a variety of further articles on different, ICT-related topics. See, for example, the new opinion article by Eurescom director David Kennedy on the challenges of staying in control of smart digital services in his column “The Kennedy Perspective”. Under “Events”, we report about the 5G-PPP participation at MWC Barcelona 2022, the world’s largest telecoms event. See also our “News in brief” section, which features an interesting study on the digital dependence of EU countries and a short report on the agreed EU Digital Markets Act. Finally, in the latest “A bit beyond” article you can learn about Russia’s cyberwarfare against Ukraine and the West.

My editorial colleagues and I hope you will find value in this edition of Eurescom message, and we would appreciate your comments on the current issue as well as suggestions for future issues. Enjoy reading our magazine.

Let me close with a personal note: This is the last issue of Eurescom message under my responsibility as editor-in-chief. I decided to leave my position as Marketing and PR manager at Eurescom and pursue new professional challenges. It is with deep gratitude that I look back to 22 years of Eurescom message and the productive work with my colleagues and our external authors.

Milon Gupta
Editor-in-chief

Extended Reality

Editorial

Dear readers,

While 5G networks are still being deployed, work on 6G, the sixth generation of mobile communication technologies, has already begun. Will 6G just be an evolutionary update of 5G? Or will it achieve a new innovation level in connecting people, robots and things? Researchers all over the world have started to explore these and more questions along the road towards 6G.

In this issue of Eurescom message, we provide a glimpse on what is done in Europe to move towards 6G. We present selected research and innovation projects that are already working on different technological aspects that may later become parts of the 6G standard.

In the first article of the cover theme, Eurescom message editor Uwe Herzog gives an overview on activities and concepts currently being explored on the road to 6G. The next article by the Head of Nokia Standards, Peter Merz, presents the EU flagship project on 6G, Hexa-X. Peter Merz is also the interview partner in our exclusive cover theme interview, which follows an article by Eurescom message editor Anastasius Gavras on global initiatives towards 6G. In the next article, an author team from the ARIADNE project share their insights on Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces for 6G. In the final article of the cover theme, Yue Zhang from the University of Leicester presents the technological vision of the 6G BRAINS project.

This edition of Eurescom message also includes a variety of further articles on different, ICT-related topics. See, for example, the new opinion article by Eurescom director David Kennedy on the challenges of personally dealing with ubiquitous data collection in his column “The Kennedy Perspective”. Under “Events”, we report about two interesting virtual events – the IEEE International Symposium on Broadband Multimedia Systems and Broadcasting and the roundtables of the 5G-VINNI project on TelecomTV. See also our “News in brief” section, which features the latest release of the 5G PPP white paper on 5G architecture and the new ENISA threat landscape report. Finally, in the latest “A bit beyond” article you can learn about AI machines becoming inventors.

One comment on our own behalf: the print edition of this issue of Eurescom message is printed on recycled paper certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). This reflects our commitment to the sustainable use of natural resources.

Milon Gupta
Editor-in-chief

The Road to 6G

Editorial

Dear readers,

5G has further increased the importance of cybersecurity. While network security has already been of high importance, the new usage scenarios enabled by 5G have dramatically increased the stakes. Just think of automated driving and IoT applications in factories, and it becomes clear that network security has become not only a central topic for the ICT domain, but for economy and society as a whole.

In this issue of Eurescom message, we explore what is done in Europe to advance security and trust in 5G and beyond. We present selected research and innovation projects that have contributed to novel solutions for making 5G and future 6G networks more secure.

In the first article of the cover theme, Eurescom message editor Anastasius Gavras gives an overview on security and trust in 5G and beyond. The next article presents 5G PPP project INSPIRE-5Gplus and its holistic security vision for 5G and beyond networks.

In an exclusive interview for Eurescom message, three cybersecurity experts from ENISA share their views on security threats and strategies for 5G and beyond.

In the final article of the cover theme, a team from the 5G-VINNI project present the defence perspective on 5G, adding another dimension to the topic.

This edition of Eurescom message also includes a variety of further articles on different, ICT-related topics. See, for example, the new opinion article by Eurescom director David Kennedy on the drawbacks of working from home in his column “The Kennedy Perspective”. Under “Events”, we report about three important virtual events – the final workshop of 5G PPP infrastructure project 5G EVE, the Joint EuCNC & 6G Summit, and a workshop on liability and accountability organised by the INSPIRE-5Gplus project. See also our “News in brief” section, which features the European Green Digital Coalition and the latest Ericsson report on 5G mobile subscriptions. Finally, in the latest “A bit beyond” article you can learn about the dark side of data.

Milon Gupta
Editor-in-chief

Security and Trust

Editorial

Dear readers,

For most of 2020, the world has been struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic. Short-term crisis management has dominated the agenda worldwide and in the EU member states. At the same time the European Union has been pursuing its longer-term vision of becoming the first climate-neutral continent. With the European Green Deal plan, the EU aims to make its economy sustainable by reducing net emissions of greenhouse gases to zero by 2050. The goal is to achieve this by decoupling economic growth from resource use, and by making the transition just and inclusive.

Cities play a key role in the transition to a sustainable economy and society. Most Europeans live in cities, and cities are responsible for the largest share of greenhouse gases. Many initiatives and projects are under way to make cities sustainable. And information and communication technologies are of key importance for enabling cities to become sustainable. The concept for doing this is called “smart sustainable cities”.

In this issue of Eurescom message, we explore what is done in Europe to make cities smart and sustainable. We present selected research and innovation projects that have contributed to implementing the vision of smart sustainable cities.

In the first article of the cover theme, Eurescom message editors Milon Gupta and Anastasius Gavras give an overview on ICT for smart sustainable cities. The next article presents the European smart cities project STARDUST, which has developed solutions for urban sustainability. In the following contribution, a team of Norwegian researchers from Telenor and NTNU explains the approach of the 5G SOLUTIONS project for co-creation of smart sustainable cities.

In an exclusive interview for Eurescom message, Covenant of Mayors board member Eckart Würzner talks about the sustainable development of European cities and the challenges ahead.

In the final article of the cover theme, the two authors from Orange Romania present a specific solution for 5G powered smart lighting in smart cities, which was developed in the smart city pilot of 5G PPP project SliceNet.

This edition of Eurescom message also includes a variety of further articles on different, ICT-related topics. See, for example, the new opinion article by Eurescom director David Kennedy on the importance of critical thinking in the age of fake news in his column “The Kennedy Perspective”. Under “Events”, we report about two important virtual events – the 5G World Forum and the European Research and Innovation Days. See also our “News in brief” section, which features the 5G PPP White Paper on 5G for verticals as well as the latest sales trends for service robots. Finally, in the latest “A bit beyond” article you can learn about the economic and social risks of spreadsheet errors.

At the end of this remarkable year, we wish you happy winter holidays and all the best for 2021, especially good health.

Milon Gupta
Editor-in-chief

Editorial

Dear readers,

Artificial Intelligence is already used in 4G and the currently deployed 5G networks. That said there is still a huge potential for Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve management and performance of Beyond 5G networks, which are expected to be developed in the next ten years. AI technologies offer the potential to efficiently address the challenges of complex 5G and Beyond 5G networks, which transport ever-increasing amounts of data.

A number of European research projects are addressing these challenges. Eurescom is involved in some of these projects, which have brought about considerable technological advances. Thus, we considered the time right to dedicate the cover theme of this issue of Eurescom message to Artificial Intelligence for 5G and Beyond and have a look at some of the achievements as well as the remaining challenges.

In the first article of the cover theme, Eurescom message editor Anastasius Gavras and Eurescom project manager and AI expert Dr. Maria Barros Weiss present an overview on Artificial Intelligence for 5G and Beyond. The next article presents Horizon 2020 research project ARIADNE, which investigates the application of AI, and especially Machine Learning (ML), in Beyond 5G scenarios within the novel D-band frequency range.

In an exclusive interview for Eurescom message, Prof. Dr. Hans Dieter Schotten from the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence, DFKI, talks about his vision on the future use of AI in networks and the challenges ahead.

In the final article of the cover theme, Salvatore Spadaro from the Technical University of Catalonia and Kenneth Nagin from IBM Israel explain the innovative approach of Horizon 2020 research project SliceNet for cognitive network slice management.

This edition of Eurescom message also includes a variety of further articles on different, ICT-related topics. See, for example, the new opinion article by Eurescom director David Kennedy on the great expectations towards living and working online in his column “The Kennedy Perspective”. See also our “News in brief” section, which this time features a 5G deal between BT and Ericsson as well as the latest trends in European patent applications. Finally, in the latest “A bit beyond” article you can read about the tribulations of online meetings from the home office.

You may notice that the “Events” section in this magazine issue is a bit different compared to previous editions. We would have liked to report about MWC 2020 in Barcelona, which was cancelled due to COVID-19, and a few other major ICT events, which have been turned into virtual events for the same reason. Instead of reporting about events happening in locations like Barcelona and Dublin, we decided for the first time in the history of our magazine to feature online events.

So far we have abstained from doing it, as we consider photos of people talking on site to an audience and discussing with each other in person a crucial element for attractive event reports that readers may care about weeks after the event has happened. However, due to the fact that practically all events taking place now are virtual, we reconsidered our editorial policy. Thus, we decided to feature 5G-related webinars organised by two of our projects, SliceNet and 5G EVE. The advantage compared to most traditional in-person events is that these webinars have been recorded, and you can watch the video recordings online any time you wish.

Milon Gupta
Editor-in-chief

Editorial

Dear reader,

Mobility is at the centre of many public discussions and technological developments. The rapid growth of transport and traffic, especially in urban areas, has come at the price of pollution, congestion, and accidents. Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) offers now the opportunity to tackle many of these problems, especially as many enabling technologies have now reached a high level of maturity. Think of robotics, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, high-performance computers and, of course, 5G.

The European Union is committed to using the opportunities that CAM offers, as stated on the EC’s Digital Single Market website: “The development and large-scale deployment of Connected and Automated Mobility (CAM) provides a unique opportunity to make our mobility system safer, cleaner, more efficient and more user-friendly.” (https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/connected-and-automated-mobility-europe)

In order to make the vision of better mobility a reality, the European Commission and industry have committed to large investments in R&D for CAM solutions.

In this issue of Eurescom message, we provide an overview on the current status of 5G-based CAM development in Europe and present selected CAM-related R&D activities under the EU’s Horizon 2020 programme.

In the first article of the cover theme, Eurescom message editor Uwe Herzog presents an overview on 5G for Connected and Automated Mobility.

The next article presents cross-border 5G trials for cooperative, connected and automated mobility by 5G PPP project 5GCroCo. The following article by the 5G-MOBIX project also covers cross-border mobility solutions and in addition urban connected and automated mobility.

In an exclusive interview for Eurescom message, Dr. Maxime Flament, CTO of the 5G Automotive Association (5GAA), explains the current status and future plans for connected and automated mobility using 5G in Europe and worldwide. The next article by 5G PPP project 5G-CARMEN presents the project’s CAM approach for Mobility Corridors. Finally, the authors from the 5GinFIRE project explain their city-scale 5G automotive testbed for open experimentation.

This edition of Eurescom message also includes a variety of further articles on different, ICT-related topics. See, for example, the new opinion article by Eurescom director David Kennedy on digital anxiety in his column “The Kennedy Perspective”. See also our “Events” section, which this time is focused on the IEEE 5G World Forum in Dresden and the 2nd workshop on 5G-Trials, which was part of the IEEE 5G World Forum. Finally, in the latest “A bit beyond”article you can learn about escaping the growing surveillance based on facial recognition.

My editorial colleagues and I hope you will find value in this edition of Eurescom message, and we would appreciate your comments on the current issue as well as suggestions for future issues.

Milon Gupta
Editor-in-chief

Events calendar

20 – 23 June 2022
IoT Week
Dublin, Ireland
https://iotweek.org

6 July 2022
2nd Workshop on Accountability, Liability and Trust for 5G and Beyond (WALT5G+ 2022)
Paris, France (Hybrid Event)
https://6g-conference.dnac.org/walt5gplus-2022-workshop

5 – 8 September 2022
IEEE International Mediterranean Conference on Communications and Networking (MeditCom 2021)
Athens, Greece
https://meditcom2022.ieee-meditcom.org

6 – 8 September 2022
11th Advanced Satellite Multimedia Conference & 17th Signal Processing for Space Communications Workshop
Graz, Austria
https://asmsconference.org

12 – 15 September 2022
IEEE International Symposium on Personal, Indoor and Mobile Radio Communications (PIMRC 2022)
Virtual Conference
https://pimrc2022.ieee-pimrc.org

18 – 21 October 2022
27th Ka and Broadband Communications Conference (Ka) & 39th International Communications Satellite Systems Conference (ICSSC)
Stresa, Italy
https://www.kaconf.com

8 November 2022
Workshop on Mathematical and Optimization Techniques for Security and Resilience in Future Networks
Paris, France
https://mathsecres22.roc.cnam.fr

4 – 8 December 2021
IEEE Global Communications Conference (GLOBECOM 2022)
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
https://globecom2022.ieee-globecom.org

Events calendar

7 – 11 December 2021
IEEE Global Communications Conference (GLOBECOM 2021)
Madrid, Spain
https://globecom2021.ieee-globecom.org

8 – 11 January 2022
IEEE Consumer Communications & Networking Conference (CCNC 2022)
Virtual Conference
https://ccnc2022.ieee-ccnc.org

28 February – 3 March 2022
MWC Barcelona 2022
Barcelona, Spain
https://www.mwcbarcelona.com

7 – 10 March 2022
25th Conference on Innovation in Clouds, Internet and Networks (ICIN 2022)
Paris, France (Hybrid Conference)
https://www.icin-conference.org

6 – 10 June 2022
2022 EuCNC & 6G Summit
Grenoble, France
https://www.eucnc.eu