Seamless integration and optimisation of 6G and Wi-Fi technologies

5G is the newest generation of cellular technologies that targets to serve traffic with diverse characteristics and requirements, including enhanced mobile broadband, ultra-reliable low latency communications and massive machine type communications. 5G offers substantial improvements over 4G including 10x reduced latency, 10-100x increased data rates and connection density, 10-100x connected devices and 1000x increased traffic capacity. 6G, the sixth generation of cellular technology, represents a significant leap beyond its predecessor, 5G, leading the way in a new era of connectivity and technological capabilities aiming to push the boundaries even further promising unprecedented speeds (terabit-per-second), ultra-low latency (sub-millisecond), massive connectivity (tens-hundreds of million devices per square kilometer), AI-powered network optimisation, and more.

On the other hand, Wi-Fi is a well-established technology broadly used to provide broadband wireless communication in local area networks. With its 6th and upcoming 7th generation, Wi-Fi  has evolved into a powerful technology with an extremely rich feature set that aims to combine high data rates and lower latencies with high efficiency. The convergence of cellular and Wi-Fi technologies in future wireless communications represents a significant step forward in creating a seamless and highly efficient wireless ecosystem.

This PhD research aims to investigate the seamless integration of 6G and Wi-Fi technologies within the Open-RAN (O-RAN) framework exploiting RAN optimisation mechanisms to create a highly efficient and adaptive Radio Access Network (RAN). The main research objective include (but are not limited to): O-RAN based architectural integration of 5G/6G and Wi-Fi, development of advanced algorithms and optimisation techniques to enhance the performance and efficiency of the integrated RAN and spectrum management strategies for efficient utilisation of wireless resources. The candidate will be validating and evaluating the developed mechanisms utilising simulation tools and in-house cutting-edge cellular/Wi-Fi testbeds and tools.

The successful PhD candidate will be part of a large IMEC team working on the research, implementation and prototyping of future communications systems: experts in digital, analog and mm-wave ASIC design, wireless communications, PHY processing, MAC and higher layers, machine learning. This is a unique opportunity to develop innovative, multi-disciplinary technology and shape future wireless networks and publish the research outcomes in top-level journals and conferences.