Ericsson, the global telecommunications giant, announced the launch of its ‘India 6G’ program, aimed at driving research and development for the next-generation of telecommunications technology. As part of this initiative, Ericsson has established a dedicated ‘India 6G’ research team within its Chennai R&D Center. Ericsson already has three R&D centers in India, located in Chennai, Bengaluru, and Gurgaon. 

The ‘India 6G’ research team is composed of senior research leaders and a team of experienced researchers specializing in Radio, Networks, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Cloud technologies. Their mission is to develop fundamental solutions that will shape the future of telecommunications.This research team in India will collaborate with Ericsson’s research teams in Sweden and the United States to create technology that will enable a cyber-physical continuum. This continuum will allow networks to deliver critical services, immersive communications, and support omnipresent Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity while ensuring the integrity of transmitted information. 

The projects undertaken by the ‘India 6G’ team will cover various areas, including Channel Modelling and Hybrid Beamforming, Low-energy Networks, Cloud evolution, Sustainable compute, Trustworthy, Explainable, and bias-free AI algorithms, Autonomous agents for Intent Management Functions, Integrated sensing and communication functions for man-machine continuum, and Compute offload to Edge-Computing cloud, among others. 

Magnus Frodigh, Head of Research at Ericsson, expressed the company’s commitment to incorporating India’s specific needs into the global telecommunications technology landscape through this initiative. 

In addition to its in-house research efforts, Ericsson is collaborating with premier institutes in India for research in Radio, AI, and Cloud technologies. One such partnership includes a 5-year collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras’ (IIT Madras) Center for Responsible AI (CeRAI), signed in September 2023. Ericsson recognizes the significance of AI research, as 6G networks are expected to be autonomously driven by AI algorithms. Ericsson is also exploring partnerships with other leading engineering institutes in India for 6G-related research. 

Ericsson has a long-standing presence in India, dating back to 1903, and established its Research team in the country in 2010. With the ‘India 6G’ Research program, Ericsson aims to play a pivotal role in propelling India to the forefront of future communication technology. 

Ericsson’s vision for 6G encompasses a network platform that seamlessly connects humans and machines, merging physical and digital worlds to enable uninterrupted interaction and immersive experiences. This vision aligns with the Indian government’s ‘Bharat 6G’ vision statement, which promotes ubiquitous connectivity, sustainable networks, and affordable communications. 

Nitin Bansal, Head of Ericsson India, affirmed that Ericsson is well-positioned to usher in the ‘India 6G’ era in collaboration with the Indian government, universities, and the industry ecosystem. Ericsson is a global leader in 5G technology, powering 155 live 5G networks across 66 countries worldwide. Their 5G leadership has received recognition in important independent analyst reports, and in India, Ericsson is working with leading Communications Service Providers, Bharti Airtel and Reliance Jio, to deploy 5G networks in the country.