IIT Kharagpur and Ericsson Partner for Joint 6G Research

The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur and Ericsson have announced a comprehensive, long-term partnership for joint research in the domains of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Computing, and Radio. This collaboration was marked by the signing of two significant agreements, which signifies a shared commitment to advancing technological frontiers, particularly in the context of 6G research.

The two organizations will embark on pioneering research projects aimed at developing novel AI and distributed computing technologies crucial for the evolution of 6G networks as part of this collaboration. The symposium held at the GS Sanyal School of Telecommunications (GSSST) provided a platform for leaders from Ericsson Research and IIT Kharagpur to engage in discussions on the future of networks and communication.

AI and Compute research play a pivotal role in Ericsson's vision for 6G networks, where dynamic management of compute offload at the edge is essential. The collaboration aims to align research themes with IIT Kharagpur's strengths, pushing the boundaries of fundamental and applied research in the Radio domain. The partnership is viewed as a strategic means to contribute to the development of AI-driven applications that run faster and more efficiently in the 6G era.

“In the commitment towards Digital India and making India the hub of technological innovation, this collaboration with Ericsson will be effective for next-generation technology significantly. 6G networks integrated with artificial intelligence will enable AI-powered applications to run faster and more efficiently. In the 6G era, IIT Kharagpur aims to contribute to Radio Access Technology and Networks, Core Networks, RF & Device Technologies, VLSI Design, Neuromorphic Signal Processing, Services, and Applications. The institute also looks forward to participating in the Telecommunications Standardization Process, Developing Test Beds, Prototype Development, and Commercialization along with training and manpower development. This collaborative research partnership in fundamental areas as well as translational research will be transformational for our Future Network Platforms,” said Virendra Kumar Tewari, Director of IIT Kharagpur.

Elaborating on the partnership between IIT Kharagpur and Ericsson, Dr. Magnus Frodigh, Head of Ericsson Research, stated, “This collaboration strengthens our R&D commitments in India and is pivotal to Radio, Compute, and AI research. We are excited to partner with IIT Kharagpur and look forward to collaborative research in fundamental areas as well as translational research for our Future Network Platforms”. Dr Frodigh also presented Ericsson’s vision on 6G which aims to blend the physical and digital worlds enabling us to improve the quality of life by incorporating widespread Sensor-based communications between humans and machines through digital twins.

“Ericsson is well poised to lead 6G innovation and we are making significant R&D investments in India in line with our commitment to the country. Given our 5G and technology leadership, our research initiatives are geared to provide affordable network platforms for ubiquitous connectivity all across the country,” said Nitin Bansal, Managing Director of Ericsson India.

The symposium featured figures from both organizations, including Prof. Suvra Sekhar Das, Prof. Debarati Sen, Prof. Saswat Chakrabarti, Prof. Soumyajit Dey, along with Dr. Magnus Frodigh, Dr. Mikael Hook, and Dr. Mikael Prytz from Ericsson Research. This collaborative effort is poised to shape the future of networks and communication through innovative research and technological advancements.

The collaboration has outlined key initiatives, including the exploration of compute offload and resource optimization at the edge. This project focuses on sustainable distributed and edge computing technologies. Additionally, the research will delve into Reinforcement Learning (RL) based Beamforming for Joint Communication and Sensing (JCAS), aiming for safety, causality, and verifiability in AI methods.