Future communications hub in all-spectrum connectivity
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Oxford
Department Name: Engineering Science
Abstract
The demand for wireless communications continues to grow exponentially, creating a severe shortage of wireless spectrum, and connectivity challenges, especially in indoor densely occupied environments. At the same time, optical wireless and new radio frequency approaches such as higher frequency systems and intelligent surfaces are maturing, creating new opportunities for wireless communications. All these systems require backhaul, provided by fibres, and here new fibre innovations, such as hollow core and new longer wavelength glass core are opening up new wavelength regions. The Hub brings together eight core partners with world-leading expertise in wireless and fibre communications to investigate how to use these emerging capabilities to provide all-spectrum connectivity. We will develop comparative models that allow the optimal combination of wired and wireless spectrum to be determined; develop methods to jointly optimise their use, and investigate approaches to create a universal interface between the wired and wireless domains. Partners will jointly undertake demonstrations using existing testbeds as well as systems modelling and a range of other activities. The work of the Hub will be in partnership with industry, government and the wider academic community with significant resources to support such partnerships reserved, and we will engage widely to ensure we maximise the impact of the work we undertake.
Organisations
- University of Oxford (Lead Research Organisation)
- Research Institutes of Sweden (Collaboration)
- Charles III University of Madrid (Collaboration)
- Technical University of Denmark (Collaboration)
- BT Group (Collaboration)
- Keysight Technologies (Collaboration)
- Riga Technical University (RTU) (Collaboration)
- University of West Attica (Collaboration)
Publications
Altuna R
(2024)
Power Over Fiber and Analog Radio Over Fiber Simultaneous Transmission Over Long Distance in Single Mode, Multicore, and Hollow Core Fibers
in Laser & Photonics Reviews
Brugnoni A
(2024)
Flexible Generation of Optically-Carried Sub-THz Beat Notes Stabilized Through an Integrated SiN Frequency Locker
in IEEE Photonics Technology Letters
Cerna Loli R
(2024)
Hybrid Automatic Repeat Request for Downlink Rate-Splitting Multiple Access
in IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications
Chaudhry N
(2024)
Channel Measurements at 6.4 GHz for IEEE 802.11be WLAN
Clerckx B
(2024)
Multiple Access Techniques for Intelligent and Multifunctional 6G: Tutorial, Survey, and Outlook
in Proceedings of the IEEE
Hazarika B
(2025)
Generative AI-Augmented Graph Reinforcement Learning for Adaptive UAV Swarm Optimization
in IEEE Internet of Things Journal
Huynh D
(2024)
Joint Sensing, Communications, and Computing Design for 6G URLLC Service-Oriented MEC Networks
in IEEE Internet of Things Journal
Khan A
(2025)
Integrated Non-Terrestrial and Terrestrial Quantum Anonymous Networks
in IEEE Network
| Description | Contribution to ETSI Industry Specifications Group (ISG) on Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS) |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | The technology is included in the technical report of ETSI ISG RIS for 6G pre-standardization. |
| URL | https://www.etsi.org/committee/1966-ris |
| Description | Establishment of ETSI Industry Specifications Group on Multiple Access Techniques for 6G. |
| Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | The technology RSMA has been submitted for 6G by multiple industry partners and is now considered as a potential technology for pre-6G and 6G standardization. |
| URL | https://www.etsi.org/newsroom/press-releases/2484-etsi-launches-new-group-on-multiple-access-techniq... |
| Description | Future communications hub in all-spectrum connectivity: additional funds |
| Amount | £8,528,424 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/Y037197/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2023 |
| End | 03/2025 |
| Description | Higher Education Research Capital (HERC) |
| Amount | £4,461,800 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2024 |
| End | 03/2025 |
| Description | Raman Distributed Feedback Fibre Lasers |
| Amount | £811,874 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | EP/Z533737/1 |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2025 |
| End | 01/2028 |
| Title | Dataset supporting the publication "Wideband (13.7 THz) Gain-Flattened Yb-Doped Fiber Amplifier for Telecommunication Applications" |
| Description | Dataset supporting the publication: X. Huang, S. Liang, L. Xu, D. J. Richardson and Y. Jung, "Wideband (13.7 THz) Gain-Flattened Yb-Doped Fiber Amplifier for Telecommunication Applications," in IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, vol. 36, no. 12, pp. 791-794, 15 June15, 2024, doi: 10.1109/LPT.2024.3396772. This dataset contains experimental and simulated data for the paper. The data is presented in excel file, of a dual-stage, wideband gain-flattened ytterbium-doped fiber amplifier specifically tailored for 1 µ m data transmission. The data shows that our wideband amplifier offers significant potential for high-capacity wavelength-division multiplexed transmission in the 1 µ m wavelength regime. Related projects: EPSRC funded "Airguide Photonics" Programme Grant (EP/P030181/1), "National Hub in High Value Photonics Manufacturing" (EP/N00762X/1) and project REASON, a UK government funded project under the Future Open Networks Research Challenge (FONR) sponsored by the Department of Science and Innovation and Technology (DSIT). |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | Supports public research. |
| URL | https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/491442 |
| Description | BT Collaboration |
| Organisation | BT Group |
| Department | BT Research |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Experimental demonstrations implementing use cases defined by BT on the topic of power-and-data-over-fibre. Delivered seminar to the partner. Knowledge exchange through joint supervision of PhD student |
| Collaborator Contribution | PhD CASE studentship and co-supervision. In-kind support through loan of equipment. |
| Impact | Two publications at international conferences. Deliverables to the DSIT REASON project which co-funded the work. BT were directly involved in this project, through which they defined the use case for which we developed and demonstrated a solution. A demonstrated was recorded and communicated to partners and the public. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | DTU, UWA Opt Computing |
| Organisation | Technical University of Denmark |
| Country | Denmark |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Experimental implementations of systems designed together with the team of collaborators. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Design support. Proof-of-principle simulations. They have shipped to us chips fabricated externally for characterisation and experiments. |
| Impact | One conference publication at OFC 2025 (leading optical communications conference). The work is ongoing. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | DTU, UWA Opt Computing |
| Organisation | University of West Attica |
| Country | Greece |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Experimental implementations of systems designed together with the team of collaborators. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Design support. Proof-of-principle simulations. They have shipped to us chips fabricated externally for characterisation and experiments. |
| Impact | One conference publication at OFC 2025 (leading optical communications conference). The work is ongoing. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | RISE Partnership |
| Organisation | Keysight Technologies |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Hosting of a research visitor. Contribution with the Facilities of x-band labs. Transmission in custom-made hollow-core fibre. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Contribution of fast silicon modulator. High-speed hardware made available for experimentation. Digital signal processing algorithms for generation and detection of signals. |
| Impact | Work ongoing. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | RISE Partnership |
| Organisation | Research Institutes of Sweden |
| Country | Sweden |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Hosting of a research visitor. Contribution with the Facilities of x-band labs. Transmission in custom-made hollow-core fibre. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Contribution of fast silicon modulator. High-speed hardware made available for experimentation. Digital signal processing algorithms for generation and detection of signals. |
| Impact | Work ongoing. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | RISE Partnership |
| Organisation | Riga Technical University (RTU) |
| Country | Latvia |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Hosting of a research visitor. Contribution with the Facilities of x-band labs. Transmission in custom-made hollow-core fibre. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Contribution of fast silicon modulator. High-speed hardware made available for experimentation. Digital signal processing algorithms for generation and detection of signals. |
| Impact | Work ongoing. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Student exchange with Univ Carlos III |
| Organisation | Charles III University of Madrid |
| Country | Spain |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Access to lab space, equipment and specialty optical fibres |
| Collaborator Contribution | Research on power delivery for telecoms applications. |
| Impact | Pérez, R. A., Y. M. Jung, P. Petropoulos, and C. V. García. 2024. 'Power Over Fiber and Analog Radio Over Fiber Simultaneous Transmission Over Long Distance in Single Mode, Multicore, and Hollow Core Fibers', Laser & Photonics Reviews. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | FORCE Workshop - Chalmers University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Participation in workshop and delivery of invited presentation. The event resulted in establishing a research collaboration between our University and two other parties. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Future telecommunications hub workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Workshop to showcase the work of the future telecommunications hubs |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | HASC presentation at IEEE Wincom conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | HASC overview presentation at IEEE Wincom 2024 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | International 6G Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Took part in panel in international 6G symposium |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Invitation to present at Workshop on Multi-band communications at ECOC 2024 (P Petropoulos) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Presented outline of research in the area and participated in panel discussion on the prospect of Multi-band systems (WS4 - Workshop in ECOC 2024, Frankfurt) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Invited talk at 6GNRF launch |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Increased awareness of the 6G reserach agenda in the UK |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Keynote on "Beyond Diagonal Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces: A New Frontier in Wave Domain Processing," IEEE ISWCS 2024, Brazil. July 2024. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Keynote speech as major conference |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://iswcs2024.usuarios.rdc.puc-rio.br/keynote-speakers/ |
| Description | Mobile World Congress exhibit |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Stand and exhibit at Mobile Wireless Congress (as part of the Future Telecoms Hubs activity) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Organised an International Workshop in IEEE INFOCOM 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The hubs co-investigators in collaboration with other telecom hubs organised an international workshop "The First Workshop on Shaping the Future of Telecoms - Networks for Joint Intelligence, Sustainability, Security, and Resilience". This workshop was well received at the submission stages with more than 30 submission from international research groups. The aim is to showcase the hubs' outcomes and foster further international collaborations. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| URL | https://infocom2025.ieee-infocom.org/first-workshop-shaping-future-telecoms-call-papers |
| Description | Participation in Go-Science workshop on shaping the future of telecoms in the UK |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Participation in Go-Science workshop on shaping the future of telecoms in the UK |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Regular engagement with the development of the UK quantum missions relevant to telecommunications |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | This is a regular engagement to ensure awareness between the work in (particularly) quantum mission 2 and work within the Future Telecoms Hubs |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024,2025 |
| Description | Regular meetings between HASC and Ofcom |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | HASC has a regular meeting with Ofcom to exchange information about spectrum related activities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Tutorial on "Electromagnetic Signal and Information Theory: Beyond Diagonal Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces and Holographic Surfaces," IEEE WCNC 2024. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | 3h Tutorial |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Tutorial on "Electromagnetic signal and information theory: Beyond diagonal reconfigurable intelligent surfaces and holographic surfaces," IEEE SPAWC 2024. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | 3h Tutorial |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Workshop on Intelligent Surfaces and Analog Computing for Wireless Communications |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Workshop on Intelligent Surfaces and Analog Computing for Wireless Communications |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://sites.google.com/view/ieee-comsoc-rcc-sig-bdris/events/workshop-2024 |
| Description | Workshop on Signal Processing for Multi-functional and Intelligent Wireless Systems |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Workshop on Signal Processing for Multi-functional and Intelligent Wireless Systems |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://sites.google.com/view/ieee-comsoc-wtc-sig-rsma/events/rsma-sig-workshop |