CW Technology & Innovation Awards Partner UEA to lead on new UK-India Future Networks Initiative

A £1.4-million project led by the University of East Anglia (UEA) will support the integration of high-speed communications networks in India.

The new UK-India Future Networks Initiative (UKI-FNI) will explore innovations in the supply chain for hardware and software systems that provide access, connectivity and services for future digital networks. The UKI-FNI project, collaborating with scientists and engineers in India, will also develop a joint vision and research strategy for the future of 5G and 6G. 

Prof Gerard Parr, Chair in Telecommunications Engineering and Head of School of Computing Sciences at UEA, is leading the project. Partners include Regius Prof Rahim Tafazolli at the University of Surrey; Prof Lajos Hanzo at the University of Southampton; and Prof Steve Hailes at University College London. Key partners in India are Prof KVS Hari of the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore and Prof Subrat Kar of the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi. 

The project is funded by the UK Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC). 

The research will explore the technical requirements for a testbed connecting India and the UK to test innovative solutions. It aims to increase competitiveness and choice of vendors that design, manufacture and deploy systems such as antennae, transmission and switching equipment at base stations, as well as the integration components that support backhaul transport and associated network management systems. 

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