A consortium of Finnish industrial and academic partners has launched the RF ECO3 project to accelerate the development of radio frequency design and hardware for 5G Advanced and 6G networks. Led by the University of Oulu and supported by Business Finland’s Veturi programme, the initiative aims to address critical challenges in energy efficiency, with a target to improve the bit-per-joule ratio by 5-10 times compared to current 5G technology. The project focuses on creating faster, more reliable data connections capable of simultaneous high-resolution sensing while reducing the energy load expected to increase twentyfold due to rising network traffic. Partners including Nokia, Bittium, and Aalto University will collaborate through 2027 to validate new technological enablers for sustainable, complex 6G radio systems.
Keywords: RF design, energy efficiency, 6G networks, hardware optimization, sustainable networks