6G test centre is an engine for innovation
The University of Oulu’s highly sophisticated 6G Test Centre is a collection of facilities for researchers and developers to create prototypes and test solutions in the current and coming wireless environment. To this end, the 6G Test Centre features a millimeter wave and Terahertz anechoic chamber for precise signal propagation measurements and a software-defined radio (SDR) based 6G Test Network (6GTN+). The 6G Test Network is built on the University’s standalone 5G Test Network, which is a complete network that not only meets the capabilities of any commercial 5G network but utilises the complete potential of the standard. The network is a reference as to what 5G can do at its best.
“Our test network is the number one academic research environment for next-generation wireless technologies in the world”, says professor Ari Pouttu.
“Our network on campus is optimal and quite massive for an academic institution. Companies who create commercial 5G solutions pick and choose capabilities from the standard for their services. This means that not all of the potential in the standard gets to be used commercially. Our standalone 5G network means that we can harness all the capabilities of radio access network,” explains research director Tuomo Hänninen.
Four paths to 6G test network
After 5G, the focus is on 6G, and Hänninen says there are four distinct paths toward a 6G test network, says Hänninen. The first path is based on making use of 100 per cent of the 3GPP-defined standards, as mentioned above. The second path is the use of software-defined radio, or SDR, where all the network components are modifiable. This software-based path leans on the open source systems from different alliances.
A third way to move from 5GTN to 6GTN+ is the implementation of disruptive 6G technologies by integrating intelligent reflective surfaces, or 100-300 GHz transceivers to propagate high-spectrum radio signals or any proof-of-concept equipment to the network.
“The fourth path is the artificial intelligence path,” says professor Ari Pouttu. “As we are able to compute AI algorithms ever faster with graphics x processing units, or GPUs, running Metaverse-style virtual environments will become smoother. AI will be used to control and optimise extremely complex radio networks, block attacks and so on,” Pouttu explains.
As networks become more capable, the future may hold such applications as real-time language translation.
“Maybe two people who don’t share a common language need to have a phone call. Both of their languages will be translated in real time, so one caller is operating entirely in their own language. A smartphone won’t take care of the translation because of the massive computational power that’s required, but it will happen somewhere in the network, for example in edge computing units, all controlled and optimised by AI,” says Pouttu.
From sub-zero Arctic to 1,5 kilometers underground
The test network on campus is spread out over a radius of a few hundred meters, meaning there is no delay or latency. To test for real-world scenarios, it is possible to include dozens or hundreds of kilometers of optic fibre to emulate actual distances. The test network is a modular system which enables the building of virtual laboratories for specific needs. For example, it provides a chance to build hybrid civilian and defense networks for interplay or dual use approaches in order to bolster resilience. The collaboration between the 6G Test Centre and NATO DIANA (Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic) project is an example of this and creates the opportunity for companies and organisations to test “virtually anything.”
And in addition to the network on university campus, the Test Centre includes several different locations for on-site testing. OuluZone is located about 30 kilometers away from the University of Oulu and it is a location for large-scale outdoor testing of autonomous and connected systems. One example is a system for operating an excavator remotely from the University, and another example is the testing of autonomous cars and different systems in them on OuluZone’s driving track.
In a decommissioned mine in Pyhäsalmi, some 200 kilometers south of Oulu, is the underground science and R&D centre, Callio Lab. There it is possible to test for things that are not allowed–for obvious reasons–above ground outside a test chamber, like GPS jamming and other types of radio disturbances which will put stress on a network and its devices. 350 kilometers north of Oulu, in Sodankylä, there is another site for testing digital solutions in Arctic driving conditions.
Infrastructure pushes for more innovation
The key perspective to building an all-encompassing test centre is applied research, says Tuomo Hänninen. “The facilities here are a clear asset to our project consortiums which typically have 15-30 international partners. Oulu is held in high regard, and we are a desired partner in many EU projects and consortiums. This is not only because of our technical facilities, but also because of the University of Oulu’s reputation as a coordinator and administrator. It’s not just the physical infrastructure, but the team that collaborates with the client,” Hänninen describes.
“We have been successful in securing hundreds of millions of euros in project funding through our infrastructure and our expertise, and now Oulu is considered to be a partner that will raise the odds of getting funding for any project,” says Ari Pouttu. “We are able to complete very ambitious projects successfully which inspire future ideas and projects. The real value of our test infrastructure is that it works as an engine for innovation in so many areas.”
Read this article and many more in the 10th issue of 6G Waves magazine.