The nexus of 6G Flagship programme is the rapidly evolving, open 5G Test Network (5GTN), which first introduced its advanced network functions to researchers and developers in 2015. As a focal point of connectivity, it simultaneously links test beds, novel devices and applications; theory and practice; as well as research and business.

More information (in English): https://www.oulu.fi/university/news/5g-6g-test-network

Lisätietoa suomeksi: https://www.oulu.fi/yliopisto/uutiset/5g-6g-testiverkko

Manufacturing Industry Digital Innovation Hubs (MIDIH) is a project co-funded from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme and participating partners. The project has cascade funding for European SMEs.

MIDIH Call-2 targets the development of data driven applications, by IT SMEs as technology providers, and experiments in Cyber Physical Systems preferably by Manufacturing SMEs.

The open call aims at complementing functionalities around MIDIH reference architecture and performing experiments in CPS/IOT based on the components provided by the architecture. The experiments must cover one of the three main scenarios: Smart Factory or Smart Product or Smart Supply chain.

Link to open call details, guidelines and proposal template is

https://midih.eu/opencall_2.php

Commercialization of the first 5G network generation is starting. At the same time, Beyond 5G (B5G) R&D and utilization of AI and novel cyber security concepts are ramping up and offering excellent business opportunities to both telecom and vertical industries. General goal of 5G Test Network Finland (5GTNF) is to fill the gap between laboratory-based testing environments and commercial network deployments, offer trialing support, and tailored infrastructures for telecom and vertical industries and strengthen position of Finland in B5G R&D and utilization of 5G, artificial intelligence (AI) and novel cyber security concepts.

“5GTNF is open and evolving ecosystem supporting Beyond 5G technology research and validation, vertical industry product development and pioneer company experiments”, says Toni Mattila, Connected Intelligent Industries Finland Program Director from Business Finland. The focus of work is on 5G and beyond communication concepts, development towards smart networks and 6G, utilization of AI in radio resource and network management and vertical use case implementations utilizing B5G telecom, AI and cyber security concepts. Achievement of targets requires close co-operation between telecom and vertical area technology and business experts.

Integration of test environments in multiple locations and centralized management of resources enable flexible support to 5G and beyond technologies and services research, development and validation

“Vertical systems providers need a test environment to develop 5G/B5G-based applications and services, and telecom industry needs a test environment based on real vertical system and service requirements”, says Marjo Uusi-Pantti, 5G Momentum project manager from Traficom. The common core of the ecosystem is platform project focusing B5G, cyber security and AI research, development of common test network modules and development and integration of test network. In addition, the ecosystem has several vertical projects focusing on vertical specific technology R&D, development of vertical specific technology components and solutions and implementation of vertical trials. Vertical projects are focusing on solutions needed by smart industries, cities and living, mobility and health and wellbeing.

5GTNF is a joint effort from industry, academia and Finnish government including network manufacturers, operators, technology and R&D service providers, testing systems and tools manufacturers, vertical industry application developers, public organizations and research organizations. The best R&D partners in Finland and abroad are working closely together to achieve to world class results. “One of the key result is open test platform for Finnish business activities utilizing 5G technologies”, says Kyösti Rautiola, 5GTNF ecosystem manager, Principal Scientist from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd.

Further information

5G Test Network Finland (5GTNF) ecosystem (www.5gtnf.fi)

Kyösti Rautiola, VTT, tel. +358 400 582 246, kyosti.rautiola@vtt.fi

Verkotan is a relevant partner in this 5GTN community because it operates at the forefront of researching and developing 5G technology. Verkotan has developed its own passive antenna measurement system as well as special testing methods for 5G beamforming antennas and systems. In addition, massive MIMO testing methods are researched by Verkotan team.

More information:
https://verkotan.com/antenna/verkotan-provides-5g-wireless-beamforming-antenna-testing-solutions-in-5gtn-community/

The 5G VIIMA project just launched studies the potential of the developing 5G technology not for personal services, but rather for industrial applications.

-In practice, this means that we take the latest network technology and ICT industry innovations, such as video analytics, sensor systems, autonomous devices and new actuators in, for example, the VR and AR fields and test and study how industrial environments could better utilise digitalisation and wireless techniques. The project aims to create and test solutions that provide real value in industrial use. At the same time, we also analyse the business environment, or the creation of value chains in case of industrial solutions and the management and ownership of the network and data. The project is part of the University of Oulu’s 6G Flagship, the flagship study of the Academy of Finland, explains Olli Liinamaa, the project’s leader.

More information:
https://www.oulu.fi/university/news/5gviima

UROS Group, a global innovator in turnkey IoT solutions and smart connectivity has demonstrated compatibility with 5G technologies by completing a mobile data call over a connection provided by its Goodspeed service at the local 5G Test Network facilities in Oulu, Finland.

More information:
https://www.oulu.fi/university/uroscoop5gtn

National 5G projects co-operate in showcasing the delivery of the Finnish broadcasting company Yle´s live TV channels in mobile wireless network. For the first time in Finland two areas are lit up, and selected commercial smartphones are enabled to receive live streams in Oulu and Espoo 5G test networks using evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (eMBMS) technology.

eMBMS brings benefits to every party involved. With eMBMS Content Providers can transmit high quality videos to larger audiences, and at the same time operators can free spectrum. It means less congested networks and better Quality of Service for every users.

“Most importantly, those Formula 1 or Ice-Hockey finals will not crash at mobile anymore due to peak traffic congestion. In fact, research shows that networks not leveraging broadcast waste a massive amount of spectrum for delivering the most popular content!”, says Mikko Uitto, Research Scientist from VTT.

Studies show that mobile traffic will grow by at least eight times in the next five years, and video is the largest contributor to this growth. For example Finns consume already over 10GB of data per month, for which video streaming takes the largest share. In parallel, the number of connected things will double in the same timeframe which means even less bandwidth for everyone to go around.

eMBMS is widely regarded as a savior technology that allows service providers to deliver more services more efficiently, and to economically cope with the traffic growth the market will live to see in the next few years.

eMBMS offers also new chances for new business. This includes national emergency alerting and critical communications delivery to police forces and fire departments, connected cars to exchange critical information such as speed and location in real-time, and operating system and application updates to prevent security breaches and hacking. All these cases demand networks with higher reliability which is now feasible with broadcast.

“Our objective is to be part of the future media delivery development and 5G networks will be part of this. Digita is actively developing head-end, the CDN and Transmission side of 5G broadcasting. We are currently planning to set up a HTHP (High Tower, High Power) eMBMS pilot in the capital region in Finland in the spring 2019”, says Henri Viljasjärvi, Business development director, Digita.

“Yle aims to ensure that our content is available and easily accessible across all networks and all kinds of user terminals and platforms. Our goal is to offer the best public service media experience to the Finnish people and to be the most important media in Finland. In order to reach that goal we also need to be a bold innovator, as it is stated in our strategy. With 5G network broadcasting we can reduce production implementation and costs, while maintaining the broadcast quality and reliability”, says Olli Sipilä, CTO from the Finnish broadcasting company Yle.

“We aim to provide a platform for innovation and co-development using 5G technologies. We take a pragmatic approach to make the technology easily available to researchers, start-ups, SMEs and others to untap their creativity and design new forward thinking applications and services”, says Jose Costa Requenafrom Aalto University.

“5G offers ample opportunities to introduce new novel services. Turku University of Applied sciences is focused on developing and trialling 5G technologies for new services together with the industry, and media distribution is an important component”, says Jarkko Paavola from Turku University of Applied Sciences states.

The technology used for these projects is supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The end-to-end eMBMS solution into 5GTN is provided by Expway, a company specialized in eMBMS IP broadcasting over 5G. “Expway provides its eMBMS solutions to leading operators and device makers around the world. We are delighted to provide a similar end-to-end solution, for the benefit of this Finnish 5G eco-system as well. In fact I could not think of better place to showcase it, as no other folks in the world are as data-hungry at mobile, as the Finnish folks are!”, says Ulla Saari, VP Business Development of Expway

The demonstration is part of a multidisciplinary co-operation of 5G research projects, TAKE-5, WIVE and 5GTN+ including the companies in the media (YLE) and network technology (Digita, Expway and Nokia) industries and research institutes (Aalto University, Turku University of Applied Sciences, VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland). The projects are part of the national 5thGear programme and the 5GTNF ecosystem, funded by Business Finland. This ecosystem aims to help Finnish companies with their 5G business operations.

5G Test Network Finland is arranging a demo seminar on 15.11.2018 at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Kaitoväylä 1, 90571 Oulu and Aalto University (A-grid), Otakaari 5 A, 02150 Espoo. Video connection between the cities will be arranged.

Come to Oulu or Espoo and see what is cooking in the 5G shop. Latest 5G demos and project results, Business Finland strategy and programs, and 5GTNF plans among other topics are on the agenda of the day.

From 5GTN+ point of view, following demonstrations / presentations are going to be shown:
– Real-time monitoring for sport wearables in a cellular IoT network
– Video streaming with eMBMS-technology including Oulu to Espoo streaming
– Use of sensor data for elderly people in sheltered house
– New antenna solutions for 5G

See the program and the registration link to the event here:

https://www.businessfinland.fi/ajankohtaista/tapahtumat/2018/5g-test-network-finland-demo-seminar/

Please register to the event by 8 November 2018. The event is free of charge.

Welcome!