The ECO-eNET project addresses one of the central challenges of 6G: how to deliver ultra-fast, reliable and energy-efficient connectivity to everyone, everywhere, while keeping costs and environmental impact under control. Future 6G networks will need to support highly demanding services such as immersive communication, telepresence and critical machine-to-machine applications. However, today’s infrastructure often struggles with deployment costs, energy consumption and service gaps in rural or hard-to-reach areas.
To respond to this challenge, ECO-eNET introduces the concept of confluent networking. This novel approach integrates radio fixed wireless, free-space optics and fibre transmission into flexible mesh topologies. This allows fibre-like performance even in locations where fibre deployment is difficult or uneconomical, while ensuring low latency and very low energy per bit. The project pursues four main scientific objectives: (i) the development of advanced transmission technologies based on plasmonics, photonics and fibre sensing; (ii) the creation of intelligent orchestration methods that unify the control of mobile, optical and compute resources; (iii) the integration and demonstration of these technologies in realistic proof-of-concept environments; and (iv) the dissemination and standardisation of results to maximise long-term impact.
Through this approach, ECO-eNET seeks to establish confluent networks as a scalable and energy-aware platform for 6G, directly supporting EU priorities for climate action, digital inclusion, and industrial leadership.
