To foster the development of technologies vital for 6G networks, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IIT-Kanpur) collaborated with InterDigital, a company specialising in mobile and video technology research and development. This collaboration is in sync with the growing cooperation between India and the United States in the realm of 6G research and standardisation, following a joint statement made by both nations during the recent G20 summit.
As part of this partnership, InterDigital will provide financial support for research and innovation at IIT Kanpur, particularly in advancing Extreme MIMO (Multiple-Input, Multiple-Output) systems. These advancements are essential for enhancing spectrum efficiency and extending network coverage, both crucial for the successful deployment of 6G networks. They are critical to meet the growing demands for bandwidth and coverage posed by advanced applications like the metaverse, holographic communications, and digital twins.
Professor S Ganesh, the officiating director of IIT-Kanpur, emphasized the importance of this collaboration, noting that it comes at a pivotal moment when India has unveiled the Bharat 6G Vision Document and laid the foundation for establishing itself as a global leader in 6G technology. India has also launched the 6G R&D Test Bed, and academia plays a vital role in both advanced research for 6G standardisation and the development of technology components for 6G.
"The partnership comes at an opportune moment when India has released the Bharat 6G Vision Document and has laid the foundation to become a world leader in 6G technology and has launched the 6G R&D Test Bed," the officiating director said.
Milind Kulkarni, vice president and head of Wireless Labs at InterDigital, said this collaboration would enable them to explore and expand their expertise in advanced technologies that will shape the future of 6G. He also highlighted that collaboration fuels innovation, and InterDigital's commitment to partnering with leading institutions in India will make a positive contribution to wireless standards bodies like the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) and Telecommunications Standards Development Society, India (TSDSI).