6G is on its way: VUB joins the research into the mobile networks of tomorrow
"The new networks will not only be faster, but above all smarter"
While 5G is still being rolled out in full swing, researchers at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel are preparing for the next technological revolution. 6G, expected around 2030, will be much more than just a faster mobile network. Thanks to artificial intelligence, networks will be able to manage, optimise and secure themselves, with minimal human intervention. This autonomy opens the door to applications such as self-driving vehicles, smart factories and large-scale Internet of Things systems. At the same time, it brings with it new security challenges.
“With previous generations, the focus was mainly on speed and capacity. With 6G, the focus is shifting to intelligence,” says Professor An Braeken of the Faculty of Engineering Sciences at the VUB. “Networks will become more autonomous and will be able to constantly adapt to changing circumstances.”
In future, these intelligent networks will have to process enormous amounts of data and support critical infrastructure. Think of traffic systems, energy grids, logistics chains or emergency services. As a result, cyber security is becoming more important than ever. Artificial intelligence can not only help to detect attacks more quickly, but it can also become a target for manipulation itself. “It will be a cat-and-mouse game in which both defenders and attackers deploy AI,” says Braeken. “Moreover, when networks control critical infrastructure, cyberattacks can have consequences that extend far beyond a data breach.”
Within the ETRO.RDI research group, the VUB is therefore investigating how future 6G networks can be made secure, privacy-friendly and resilient to new threats. Particular attention is being paid to post-quantum security: techniques that will remain effective even if future quantum computers are able to crack current encryption methods.
“Networks are built to last ten to twenty years,” says Braeken. “When 6G is rolled out, those systems must be secure from day one. That is why we must start working today on solutions to tomorrow’s challenges.”
To this end, the VUB is collaborating with telecoms and technology partners such as Proximus-Citymesh and Keysight. In this way, the university is already contributing to the development of the intelligent, secure communication networks that will support our society in the coming decades.
Further information
Professor An Braeken, Faculty of Engineering Sciences, VUB: +32 468 10 47 67
Expertise: • 6G and future communication networks • Cybersecurity and cryptography • Privacy protection • Artificial intelligence in communication networks • Post-quantum security
Frans Steenhoudt
