The latest studies show that smartphones alone will represent around 80% of the total mobile data traffic.
European researchers are now building faster and more resilient networks, setting the standards for the 5th generation of mobile communications, or 5G. These networks are expected to change the way people communicate and do business, and will bring along new functionalities and services with considerable economic and social benefits. 5G services are expected to become available in 2020.
COST Action IC1004 is a network of around 500 researchers and industry representatives who defined the real-life scenarios of today’s Internet of Things – a technology connecting people and objects anytime, anywhere. Building on the work of previous COST-funded networks, IC1004 analysed the challenges of developing network architectures that are strong enough to meet future demand.
One of them is the radio spectrum, already a scarce public resource. Trying to find new ways of using it, researchers in IC1004 have been testing both lower and higher radio frequencies, in order to measure how the radio signal propagates and to avoid interference. Testing led to new, publicly available radio propagation models that researchers can use for simulations in cities. The new radio models were based on different use cases such as connected cars for traffic safety, machine-to-machine communications for smart energy management and emergency situations, and inter-connected sensors and carry-on devices or implants that monitor people’s health.
The network’s members built the scenarios as part of EU-funded research projects such as WINNER+ and METIS, representing almost €30 million in EU funding in total. With a third of participants representing telecom giants Ericsson, Siemens, Deutsche Telekom or Telefonica, the tight-knit group also helped set new technical standards. Their expertise is also reflected in a list of research priorities for future EU-funded research projects.
“The best thing about being part of a COST Action? We’re all colleagues here, learning from one another”, says Action leader Prof. Narcis Cardona (Universitat Politecnica de Valencia).
IC1004, along with all previous COST Actions in this field, helped place European research in the driving seat of innovation. Some of the IC1004 group recently set up a new network, IRACON, which will help share results and boost research beyond 5G. “ COST networks are about sharing results and giving young researchers a real chance to stand out through mentorship and constructive discussions ”, Prof. Cardona adds.