5G Is Here - Now Comes The Upgrade: 700 Million Euros In Research Funding For 6G

Higher, faster, further - that is the motto of the digital world. Anyone who does not stay on the ball and has one leg in the future if possible, will be left behind. The mobile communications standard is far from being available nationwide in Germany, and research into 6G is already reaching out. It's all about one thing: real time.

We don't think about tomorrow, about the day after tomorrow

5G makes many things possible, for example autonomous driving, automatic machine control and rapid communication with robots. But there is one thing the standard cannot do: communicate without any delay. The industry, but also the healthcare sector, would benefit from real-time applications, and the 6G network should provide these in the future. There is only one catch to this network: that it has not yet been invented. That is why the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is now loosing 700 million euros to bring the latest mobile data technology onto the rails at an early stage. We don't think about tomorrow, but about the day after tomorrow. Research Minister Anja Karliczek says she wants to "help shape new key technologies and standards in communication technologies right from the start."

So now the Technical University of Dresden (TUD) and the Technical University of Munich (TUM) are taking on this topic in the form of a major scientific project. Frank Fitzek, Professor of the Deutsche Telekom Chair for Communication Networks at TUD, will be in charge. Under his leadership, the new 6G research center is being built with 40 professors and 60 employees at each of the two locations.

5G expansion is now progressing faster

After initial delays, the 5G expansion is progressing faster than expected. Vodafone reported 10,000 activated antennas in June, reaching households with around 24 million people. By the end of 2021, 30 million people are expected to participate in this provider's 5G standard. With this current, most up-to-date standard, connections should no longer jerk or even collapse at major events. Most users only receive further advantages with the new generation of cell phones.