Project description
Exploiting the radio spectrum D-band for unparalleled data rates beyond 5G networks
Delivering the rapid, secure and reliable data access anywhere and anytime that will be required of the Internet of Things and beyond 5G wireless networks will require significant advances in today’s medium-range wireless infrastructure. The EU-funded DREAM project intends to deliver this, combining advanced semiconductor nanotechnology and a robust infrastructure-based wireless mesh network with unparalleled fibre performance. DREAM will develop a low-cost beam-steerable antenna array to exploit the radio spectrum in D-band with a power-efficient bipolar complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor transceiver analogue front end. It will enable wireless links with data rates at least 10 times faster than current solutions.
Objective
Nowadays there is a shared vision among industry, operators and academy that beyond 5G wireless networks will have to provide wideband wireless access and ubiquitous computing anywhere and at any time. The human life of the majority of the EU citizen will be surrounded by intelligent wireless sensors, which will bring radical changes to the way we live and do things. Supporting this scenario is a challenge for network operators and wireless network infrastructures and it will demand a tremendous performance improvement of medium range wireless infrastructure. This challenge needs to be addressed by a convergence of advanced semiconductor nanotechnology and a robust wireless infrastructure meshed network with seamless fiber performances.
The DREAM project, through the exploitation of the radio spectrum in D-band (130-174.8 GHz) with beam steering functionality, will enable wireless links with data rate exceeding current V-band and E-band wireless backhaul solutions by at least a factor of 10 and thus, it will bring wireless systems to the speed of optical systems. The DREAM project vision and objectives rely on a power efficient and silicon based BiCMOS transceiver analog front end, operating in D-band and enabling cost efficient deployment of meshed networks with seamless fiber performance. A beam steering integrated antenna array using an intelligent low-cost packaging technology prototype will be developed for the implementation of the beyond 5G network proof of concept in a realistic environment.
The DREAM consortium has a well-balanced and complementary known-how in the relevant areas for designing and demonstrating the feasibility of a small cell cellular network architecture based on meshed D-band backhaul links. DREAM will therefore secure Europe’s industrial leadership and pave the way towards the beyond 5G telecommunications networks.
Fields of science
- engineering and technologymaterials engineeringfibers
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringinformation engineeringtelecommunicationstelecommunications networksmobile network5G
- engineering and technologynanotechnology
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensors
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringinformation engineeringtelecommunicationsradio technology
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
RIA - Research and Innovation actionCoordinator
02150 Espoo
Finland