Imagine your mobile phone could download a full HD movie in seconds, even in a crowded stadium. The problem is that today's radio frequencies are getting packed — like a motorway at rush hour. This project explored higher-frequency radio waves (millimetre waves) that are like opening up dozens of empty lanes on that motorway. The team measured how these waves behave in real environments across the 6-100 GHz range and designed the radio technology needed to make 5G work reliably at those frequencies.
Mobile networks are running out of radio spectrum capacity as data demand explodes from video streaming, immersive applications, and cloud services. Current frequency bands below 6 GHz are congested, and operators need access to higher-frequency millimetre-wave bands to deliver the ultra-fast speeds that 5G promises. But mm-waves behave differently — they struggle with obstacles and distance — requiring entirely new radio technology to make them work reliably for mobile users.
The project produced extensive radio channel measurements across the 6-100 GHz range, advanced channel models validated against real-world data, and a complete radio interface design with adaptive beam-forming and tracking techniques. Across 18 deliverables, the team delivered system-level visualizations of the candidate radio interface concept and contributed essential results to 3GPP 5G standardization.
If you are a mobile operator dealing with congested networks and growing data demand — this project developed millimetre-wave channel models and radio interface designs validated across the 6-100 GHz range. These give you the technical foundation to deploy ultra-fast 5G services, supporting UHD streaming and immersive applications on your network.
If you are a test equipment vendor needing accurate models for next-generation wireless testing — this project produced extensive radio channel measurements and advanced channel models for the 6-100 GHz range. With 19 partners including Keysight Technologies and Rohde & Schwarz already in the consortium, these validated models can be built directly into your test platforms.
If you are a content platform struggling to deliver UHD/3D streaming or immersive experiences to mobile users — this project designed the radio access technology that enables the required bandwidth. The beam-forming and tracking techniques developed by 12 industry partners make reliable high-speed mobile delivery technically feasible.
The project aimed to secure essential IPRs for European industry, meaning patents are likely held by major consortium members including Samsung, Ericsson, Nokia, Huawei, Intel, and Alcatel-Lucent. Licensing would need to be negotiated directly with these patent holders. Many results have been contributed to 3GPP standards, which typically follow FRAND (fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory) licensing terms.
The project completed in June 2017 and its results fed directly into 3GPP 5G standardization. With 12 industry partners — including all major infrastructure vendors — the technology has since been incorporated into commercial 5G equipment. The channel models and radio interface concepts were validated through extensive measurements across 6-100 GHz.
IP is distributed among the 19 consortium partners, with major infrastructure vendors (Samsung, Ericsson, Nokia, Huawei, Intel, Alcatel-Lucent) likely holding key patents. The project explicitly aimed to secure essential IPRs for European industry and contribute to 3GPP standards.
The project included an Advisory Board of telecommunications regulators from Germany, France, Finland, Sweden, and the UK. Results were designed for use in regulatory and standards fora, meaning the technology was built with regulatory compliance in mind from the start.
The project ran from July 2015 to June 2017 with EUR 8,165,084 in EU funding. It is now closed. Results have been feeding into 3GPP standardization and commercial 5G deployments since project completion.
The radio interface was designed as a component in a multi-RAT (Radio Access Technology) 5G ecosystem, meaning it was built to work alongside existing 4G infrastructure. The 18 deliverables include system-level visualizations of the radio interface design for integration planning.
This is an exceptionally strong industry-led consortium with 12 out of 19 partners (63%) from industry — a ratio that signals high commercial intent. The project was coordinated by Samsung Electronics and included every major global mobile infrastructure vendor: Ericsson, Nokia, Huawei, Intel, and Alcatel-Lucent. Two major European operators (Orange, Telefonica) ensured market pull from the demand side, while measurement leaders Keysight Technologies and Rohde & Schwarz brought testing credibility. Academic strength came from Fraunhofer HHI and four leading universities across 8 countries. The regulatory Advisory Board from 5 national telecoms authorities further strengthened the path to market. This consortium composition virtually guaranteed that project results would reach commercial products.
Samsung Electronics (UK) Limited coordinated this project — SciTransfer can facilitate an introduction to the research team.
Want to understand how mm-wave 5G technology from this EUR 8.1M project can solve your connectivity challenges? Contact SciTransfer for a tailored briefing connecting you with the right consortium partners.
