SUstainable federatioN of Research Infrastructures for Scaling-up Experimentation in 6G
Overview
6G is expected to revolutionise the digital landscape by enabling ubiquitous wireless intelligence and advanced technologies like joint communication and sensing, cell-free systems, and Radio Intelligent Surfaces. Even though 6G promotes sustainable models such as Network-Infrastructure-as-a-Service (NIaaS), encouraging resource sharing and collaboration among MNOs, it still poses challenges. It has complex “network of networks” demands, which require robust orchestration of IT and networking resources, private domains, and third-party infrastructures for seamless service delivery.
SUNRISE-6G proposes a scalable, open and standards-compliant approach to experimentation and vertical application deployment in a pan-European Federation of 6G infrastructures, that provides access to a comprehensive library of 6G enablers. SUNRISE-6G will create a federation of 6G test infrastructures in a pan-European facility that will support converged Testing as a Service (TaaS) workflows and tools, a unified catalogue of 6G enablers publicly accessible by experimenters, and cross-domain vertical application onboarding.The SUNRISE-6G approach is inspired by the “network of networks” concept of 6G networks, aiming to integrate all private and public infrastructures under a massively scalable internet-like architecture.
Objectives
Deliver a pan-European 6G experimentation facility, supporting cross-domain vertical application deployment and testing via a decentralised management plane.
Implement an Open Federation Framework supporting vertical Use-Case deployment at the Federated Facility via standardised Camara Service APIs.
Ensure the evolvability of the facility, offering streamlined testbed onboarding workflows, and providing a clear roadmap to 3GPP compliance and large-scale trials.
To validate the Federated facility via advanced Use Cases, showcasing cross-testbed vertical deployment, and seamless onboarding of third-party testbeds.
Offer a 6G library of breakthrough components, devices and frameworks covering the complete device-to-cloud value chain, which is externally accessible for experimentation.
Facilitate Intent-Driven Lifecycle Management of experimentation processes (IDLM) through Machine Learning Operations-driven Native Artificial Intelligence (AI) integration.
Maximise the project’s visibility and impact through wide means of dissemination, communication, standardisation and exploitation activities.
eBOS Role in the Project
eBOS’ main technical role in the project will be to lead the development of the low-level design of the SUNRISE-6G portal and the Lifecycle Management experimentation services, as well as their constituent components. Additionally, eBOS will provide their State-of-the-Art 5G/6G Testbed, implement the proposed upgrades to further enhance it and expand its functionality, and combine with the rest of the 6G testbeds to formulate a pan-European federated testbed infrastructure of 6G testbeds. Finally, eBOS will lead the Quality Assurance, Risk and Data management task of the project, as well as the Dissemination, Communication and Hackathon activities ensuring the maximisation of the project’s impact and visibility.
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
