While we’re still waiting for 5G in some parts of Belgium, the telecoms industry is already looking to the next generation during Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Incidentally, Bosch and Nokia announce that they will jointly research the integration of communication and sensor technology, fundamentals that could play a role in the future 6G standard.

The two have been working together on Industrial IoT in 5G since 2017. This will be expanded and upgraded to 6G. “6G will be more than just an infrastructure for connectivity, it will greatly improve the efficiency of autonomous vehicles, smart cities and connected industries. That is why 6G is a strategically important technology area,” said Dr. Andreas Müller, responsible for 6G at Bosch. Today, Bosch employs forty people around 6G, and that number is set to double in the next two years.

recognize objects

Bosch names five projects that it is developing with government funding. Three revolve around the integration of communications and sensors, including environmental awareness.

Bosch’s ambition is that objects in a 6G coverage environment can be detected without these objects themselves containing a radio module. The other two revolve around new connectivity structures, specifically in vehicles or robots. Furthermore, the company speaks of connections of up to 1 terabit per second with a low latency of up to 100 microseconds (1 millisecond).

Although 6G itself is still a thing of the future. The 6G standard is expected to be ready by 2028. Until then, almost the entire industry will be working on technological developments that may or may not be incorporated into the future mobile communications standard.