Swedish multinational networking and telecom company Ericsson has entered into a three-year research and development (R&D) partnership with Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) to develop 5G and 6G technologies in the Kingdom.
According to the statement, the alliance aims to advance telecommunication networks with cutting-edge technologies. Further, the goal of the collaboration is to obtain a better understanding of the key characteristics and requirements of next-generation communication systems.
Ericsson and KAUST will look into transparent and flexible intelligent surfaces for 5G and beyond enhanced communication as future communication networks will have more emphasis on high data rates, low latency, and high security.
Prof Bradley VP – Research KAUST
“We are excited to collaborate with Ericsson to develop novel architectures for future communication networks. As the demand for enhanced communications continues to expand globally, innovative technologies are increasingly needed to solve the major challenges of 5G and future 6G networks. KAUST faculty and facilities offer an empowering environment for this cutting-edge research partnership and we look forward to working closely with colleagues from Ericsson to address the key challenges.”
The partnership will also focus on 6G capabilities moving to higher frequencies such as Terahertz (THz) for higher data rates. In particular, Ericsson and KAUST researchers will study backup solutions for THz communications to guarantee uninterrupted high-rate backhaul in 6G dense networks.
This agreement is a by-product of stc’s Rawafed program’s vision to enable local content while contributing to the Kingdom’s information and communications technology (ICT) sector. Commenting on this agreement, Eng. Emad Alaoudah, Procurement and Support Services Vice President at stc commented that the “collaboration is a critical part of this process and this agreement is an example of partnerships that can support Saudi Vision 2030’s digital transformation mandate.”
“Our partnership with KAUST is part of our aspiration to encourage regional innovation by funding local research projects. By working together on fundamental research areas, our partnership with KAUST will help develop and grow the ICT sector of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and also help us meet the demands and opportunities of the 6G era,” remarked Mr. Magnus Frodigh, Vice President & Head of Ericsson Research at Ericsson.
