5G – Next Generation Communication Networks

Bold 5G initiatives in both EU and Japan open industrial collaboration prospects to further progress with the objective of developing common positions, standards and interoperable systems for critical networks and computing platforms. Proposals with balanced participation of EU and Japanese partners should make a substantial contribution to the identified themes indicating the benefits of a joint effort.

Progress on standards related technologies and system approaches are needed to realise 5G radio access and include ultra-lean signalling design, new spectrum and access methods, massive MIMO, a new air interface, and SON. It also requires to further valorise the themes made in the first two EU-Japan coordinated calls with co-funding scheme between EC and MIC/NICT, to achieve high speed/high capacity dense local networks and user environments. Unified network management applying SDN/NFV techniques is directly applicable in the context of this challenge

Scope

Research and Innovation Actions

Two aspects that are complementing each other are in scope:

• 5G technologies and systems to realize high-performance heterogeneous networks which have dynamic resource allocation capabilities, superior spectral efficiency performances and functions of supporting a very wide range of application requirements. The work focuses on interoperability across heterogeneous networking implementation, on the basis of agreement on the overall testing and evaluation methodologies and the identification of related evaluation criteria and parameters and usage scenarios. This work is expected to visibly contribute to the overall evaluation methodology of 5G technologies carried out by 3GPP. It includes both below and above 6GHz relevant frequency bands in the context of global interoperability scenarios.
• 5G network to control heavy dynamicity, which change traffic volume and characteristic as well as traffic growth, with agile and flexible control or management scheme such as SDN/NFV. The Software-Defined Networking (SDN) technologies with networks controlled by software, automatically is targeted for advancing networks, as well as the Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV) to virtualize entire classes of network node functions into building blocks that may be connected, or chained, together to create telecommunication services. They draw out the performance of 5G and are essential to manage the networks in the near future. The work focuses on the earliest networks by SDN and NFV in the world, on the overall testing and evaluation SDN network management and the result of related evaluation will contribute to to relevant standardisation (i.e. ONF, ITU, 3GPP). This work is expected to visibly contribute to the overall evaluation methodology of 5G technologies carried out by 3GPP.

Sharing the results in common testbeds and applications may be targeted, and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics may be considered as a deployment scenario of 5G networks or technologies.

A strong focus should be given towards a common standardization roadmap for 5G which may start with 3GPP R14, including coordinated and common standards in the SDN/NFV domain. Standardization impact through EU and Japanese research efforts are addressed through H2020 as well as 5GMF (5G Mobile Communication Promotion Forum) and should also be relevant in the context of the WRC’19 5G spectrum process.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU up to EUR 1.5 million would allow this specific challenge to be addressed appropriately by two distinct projects. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts. No more than one action per bullet point will be funded.

• Optimised exploitation of access resources through interoperability across a range of technologies for multiple applications in both dense and rural environments.
• Development and demonstration of key enabling technologies for the future generations of integrated/heterogeneous access network systems.
• Joint identification of standardization requirements and contribution to standardization bodies and fora, supporting global views on open standards and interoperability, with particular focus on 3GPP and WRC'19 developments. It includes a significant contribution to the testing and evaluation methodologies of 5G access technologies under 3GPP.
• New basic technologies for network management. Implementation acceleration through agile relocation and flexible reconnection of virtual network functions (VFN) with real-time monitoring as proof of concepts.

International cooperation

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