HASC News
The vision for next-generation connectivity
Each new mobile network generation has brought greater data capacity and faster downloads, and in this respect 6G will be no different. But the vision for future connectivity goes far beyond this. Instead of networks focused on transferring information from one point to another, the aim is for a system that embeds digital communications into the fabric of all areas of society – bringing unprecedented levels of connectivity, resilience and innovation.
Such a communications landscape would enable a far greater variety of nodes to come online, for instance autonomous vehicles and intelligent ‘Internet of Things’ devices. This will allow a wealth of new technologies to become mainstream, from smart cities and virtual healthcare, to immersive digital environments and even applications we can’t yet foresee.
HASC is a partner in the Federated Telecoms Hubs (FTH), working alongside hubs such as TITAN, CHEDDAR, and JOINER, to address this ‘grand challenge’ of connectivity. Our particular focus is on the underlying physical connections within this fabric.
The technology behind future connectivity
Achieving next-generation technology will require integrating both existing communications infrastructure and new domains into a single coherent architecture. This is expected to include:
- New frequency bands, including millimetre-wave (mmWave) and terahertz (THz) frequencies, enabling ultra-fast, short-range data transfer in dense environments.
- Advanced optical communications, using both fibre-optic cables and free-space laser links. These will provide an ultra-high-capacity backbone for data-intensive applications, such as data centres.
- Radio systems, which will continue to provide reliable, wide-area coverage and mobility.
- Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to manage complexity and optimise performance dynamically.
Together, these elements form the foundation of HASC’s work on future connectivity: a spectrum-agnostic, adaptive network fabric that unifies the best of wired and wireless systems. Ultimately, this will ensure that the UK’s communications infrastructure of tomorrow is not only faster, but more intelligent, efficient, and secure.
How is HASC helping to bring next-gen connectivity forward?
Delivering next-generation connectivity is a multifaceted challenge, with hurdles to overcome across technology, regulatory and policy domains. To address these, HASC is leading a holistic research portfolio, spanning Modelling and Measurement, Connectivity, Adaptivity, and Security. In particular, the hub stands out for its work in both optical and radio frequency communications, with a goal of generating insight on how we can unite wired and wireless domains.
Three particularly promising new technologies that HASC are investigating are:
- Hollow-core optical fibre (HCF)
This next-generation fibre technology guides light through air rather than solid glass, which has the potential to substantially reduce the signal delay and distortion that limit today’s conventional single-mode fibres. HASC is investigating how these fibres can enable ultra-low-latency, high-bandwidth communication while also supporting new capabilities. In recent work, HASC researchers demonstrated that hollow-core and multicore fibres can carry both optical power and communications simultaneously, with the potential to improve the resilience of networks by providing ‘back up’ power.
- Integrating sensing and communications
One of the emerging frontiers in Future Connectivity is the fusion of sensing and communications into a unified system sharing spectrum, hardware and signals. HASC researchers are making the measurements that underpin some of this work.
- Quantum key distribution (QKD)
QKD can be used to improve network security by applying quantum mechanics to create cryptographic keys that are theoretically immune to eavesdropping. HASC researchers are investigating how to integrate QKD into both wired and wireless systems, to enable tamper-proof communications. In a recent study, they demonstrated secure data transmission using quantum encryption at speeds of up to 5 Mb/s over 25 kilometres of fibre. The system used an innovative approach where each receiver generated its own local reference signal, rather than sending one through the fibre – a design that makes the link far more secure against interception or tampering.
Other areas that HASC researchers are exploring include hybrid fibre–wireless links that combine the capacity of optical fibre with the flexibility of mmWave wireless; intelligent surfaces to boost the propagation of weakly-penetrating signals; optical wireless integration for high-capacity data transfer over short distances; and how AI can be applied to improve spectrum utilisation and network performance.
Breaking down barriers between academia, industry, and policy
The road to 6G and next-generation connectivity can be accelerated through close alignment between industry, policy professionals and academic researchers. A strong example is HASC partner Imperial College London co-chairing the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI)’s Industry Specification Group, collaborating with a range of companies including BBC and Viavi. This pre-standardisation forum focuses on developing future multiple access techniques for 6G standardisation.
Another case study is HASC’s collaboration with BT to develop Power-over-Fibre (PoF): a novel approach to delivering electrical power to communications equipment without relying on traditional copper cabling. As copper infrastructure is phased out in favour of all-fibre networks, the capability to support critical communications even during periods of local power outages is lost. PoF offers a promising alternative, enabling remote powering solutions in all-fibre communication systems. This work has already resulted in a series of demonstrations showing optical power delivery to remote equipment through the communication fibre, and several publications. The research is supported by BT, who developed the use cases motivating the investigation into PoF implementation solutions, sponsored a PhD studentship in this area, and loaned equipment for experimental network demonstrations.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN FINDING OUT MORE ABOUT THIS TYPE OF RESEARCH JOIN US FOR THE FTH ADVANCED CONNECTIVITY SHOWCASE ON THE 1ST DECEMBER – REGISTER HERE
Delivering the vision
Next-generation connectivity represents a paradigm shift in how we understand, design, and experience communication. Instead of treating modes as separate technologies, these will be united into a single, intelligent system.
But there remain many unknowns. For instance, how can we diversify communications while reducing energy consumption and aligning with net zero targets? Can we leverage advances in quantum computing and integrate these into classical systems? How can we strengthen network security and resilience, for instance using new satellite capabilities?
These are difficult questions to address, and HASC is working together with our FTH partners to help answer them.
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JOIN US FOR THE FTH ADVANCED CONNECTIVITY SHOWCASE ON THE 1ST DECEMBER – REGISTER HERE