Discussing the project in a statement, Nokia describes its role in the European Commission-funded project as leading “a consortium of innovators that will identify how 6G can play a key role in building a sustainable future. This will address] not only environmentally sustainable, but also economically and societally sustainable technologies.”
The company states that one of the key goals of Sustain-6G is to develop new solutions “for meeting sustainability challenges using the toolkit that 6G will offer.”
It will therefore “devote considerable time” to considering use cases in areas drawn from the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. These include in relation to ‘energy smart grid,’ ‘E-health and telemedicine’ and 'agriculture'.
Discussing the first work area in particular, a spokesperson said: “The consortium will explore how 6G could be used to create microgrids that manage electricity demand. Sustain-6G will also investigate the use of AI technologies for real-time control of distribution networks.
“This could lead to more efficient and resilient grids that minimise disruptions while providing the flexibility to draw energy from diverse sources as the world transitions to renewables like solar and wind.”
Vice president of Nokia Standards, Peter Merz, said: “The UN Paris Agreement committed the world to combatting climate change. Every industry must do its part.
“Sustain-6G will show how the communications industry will apply the next generation of networking to creating that sustainable future, overcoming not just environmental challenges but societal and economic challenges as well.”
The consortium includes a variety of organisations, including network vendors, comms services providers, industrial equipment manufacturers, European research institutions and universities, as well as SMEs.
The project is scheduled to run from January next year to 2027.
