It's all about the fastest possible communication between man and machine - without delay, as securely and sustainably as possible: "This will be particularly important with the 6G mobile communications standard," says Frank Fitzek, Professor and Head of the 'Deutsche Telekom Chair for Communication Networks' at TU Dresden. Fitzek has long been researching the 5G mobile communications standard, which is only just being rolled out. He will soon be taking on a new task: Under his leadership, a new center for research into the 6th generation of mobile communications is to be established at the technical universities in Dresden and Munich. The name: 6G-life.

The joint large-scale project is due to start in mid-August and will be funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research with around 70 million euros over the next four years. A total of 60 new employees are to be recruited at each of the two locations and around 40 professorships will be involved in order to examine various aspects of the communication network of the future. Around 200 scientists will therefore be working on the topic of 6G in the future. "We are trying to implement things relatively quickly."

6G and its role for the industry

Autonomous driving, communication with robots, automated control of machines - according to Fitzek, many things are already possible with the current 5G standard. "But communication in real time, controlling things without delay, it can't do that." However, such functions are particularly important for industry, for example for car manufacturers. 6G is also likely to play a major role in Industry 4.0 or the healthcare sector in the future. Mobile robotics and virtual reality - the new technology is bringing such visions closer. However, the players will have to be patient until then: According to Fitzek, development usually takes around ten years, and the new network should be in place by 2030.

However, research into 6G is not only about fast data transmission and digital infrastructure, but also about security - in other words, how cyber attacks can be fended off. Sustainability is also an issue. "We want to research how much energy this network actually consumes," says Fitzek. According to the scientist, entire processes and communication networks need to be rethought. In his opinion, Germans often struggle with digitalization. "If you think about how difficult it is for a health authority to get rid of a fax machine, for example, we know where we stand." Other countries such as Sweden or Denmark are not only better positioned, but are also more open to the topic.

Ethnic and health aspects of 5G, 6G and co.

Nevertheless, the topic of digital transformation harbors many fears and concerns - ethical questions should therefore also play a role in the '6G-life' project. How will children learn in the future, what will healthcare look like? "Many people are also concerned with the question of what digitalization will do to the workplace." Fitzek envisions a showroom on campus, for example, where the public can test what 6G actually means. "We can't just build technology, we also have to take the public with us," says the scientist.

However, Fitzek believes that reservations about harmful radiation are unfounded. Neither 5G nor 6G are dangerous to health, the professor is convinced. "Mobile communications are only dangerous if I read my messages on my cell phone at 130 km/h on the highway." There is no evidence from scientific studies, and the radiation from cell phones or TV towers is many times higher than that from 5G radio masts. "Strictly speaking, these are electromagnetic waves that only have one effect: they heat up the body." There are also limit values for this.

Targeted support for start-ups

Start-ups are also to be supported with '6G-life' - 10 million euros of the funding is earmarked for young companies. Close cooperation between research and industry is planned in order to implement new ideas as quickly as possible. Fitzek cited the Dresden start-up "Wandelbots" as an example of this process. The company, which now has around 140 employees, would completely redefine communication between humans and machines. Fitzek hopes that similar projects will emerge from the new center for 6G research in a few years' time.