Digital Catapult has joined forces with the JOINER (Joint Open Infrastructure for Networks Research) platform, a collaborative initiative bringing together 11 universities and research organisations to drive 6G innovation in the UK. Led by the University of Bristol’s Smart Internet Lab, JOINER provides a large-scale environment for cutting-edge telecoms research and experimentation.
As part of this initiative, Digital Catapult will integrate its Autonomous Network Service Management and Orchestration System into JOINER. This technology will help develop intelligent and resilient 6G networks that can adapt to evolving industry demands.
Dritan Kaleshi, Director of 5G Technology at Digital Catapult, expressed excitement about the collaboration: “We are thrilled to be among the first sites connected to the JOINER platform. This is a significant step forward in advancing future communications and network innovation in the UK. Our partnership with the University of Bristol and other JOINER nodes underscores our commitment to driving telecoms innovation by bridging academia, industry, and technical expertise.”
Professor Dimitra Simeonidou, Director of the Smart Internet Lab at the University of Bristol, highlighted the platform’s potential: “JOINER will revolutionise the way we conduct telecoms R&D in the UK. By creating a national experimentation platform and working with leading organisations like Digital Catapult, we can accelerate collaboration and innovation, ultimately boosting UK growth and global advancements in telecoms.”
Developing next-generation networks typically requires significant investment, posing challenges for smaller organisations.
Digital Catapult has already demonstrated its expertise in collaboration with the University of Bristol, where it showcased advanced interdomain service orchestration. This technology enables seamless coordination across different networks, supporting high-tech applications like holographic video calls, reducing latency, enhancing reliability, and dynamically allocating resources to ensure optimal performance for immersive and bandwidth-heavy experiences.
Additionally, Digital Catapult’s Open RAN Interoperability testing facilities offer a world-class environment for validating and optimising next-generation telecom solutions. The JOINER platform will further support early commercialisation and proof-of-concept testing, helping deep tech companies scale faster.
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