Dr. Joerg Widmer, who leads the wireless networks research group at IMDEA Networks, is the driving force behind this visionary project, which will advance wireless communication and improve its scalability, ubiquity, and energy efficiency. Dr. Widmer has been awarded a €1.7 million ERC Consolidator Grant from the European Research Council (ERC). ERC Grants are the most prestigious individual research grants in Europe and a key indicator of scientific excellence. Over five years, he will use this funding to develop a fundamentally new communication architecture that enables ultra-high-speed wireless networks. This innovative technology is poised to become a cornerstone of mobile communications, paving the way for a truly convergent ICT infrastructure that delivers connectivity to everyone, anytime, anywhere.
Dr. Widmer explained that, "the current scenario requires a radical rethinking of wireless networks." The state-of-the-art wireless communication is already operating near its maximum capacity, and the only viable option to further increase data transfer rates is to increase communication bandwidth. Thus, SEARCHLIGHT is committed to developing wireless technologies in high-frequency bands, such as the license-free 60 GHz band. "We aim to design and build a wireless network architecture that will be a key element for the scalability of future wireless communications," stated Dr. Widmer. "In analogy to the evolution of Ethernet cabling from a shared medium to a fully switched network, we anticipate that future wireless networks will consist of many highly directional line-of-sight (LOS) channels for communication between access points (APs) and end devices."
SEARCHLIGHT aligns with IMDEA Networks' leading role in European mobile communications research, and in particular, in the development of fifth-generation (5G) cellular networks. This role is exemplified by its membership in the 5G Infrastructure Partnership Institute, a legal entity created by the European Commission to accelerate work on 5G networks by 2020. For seven years, this collaborative initiative will guide the European effort to produce and influence international standards for next-generation cellular networks, charting a research agenda to support this ambitious vision for the future.
Furthermore, the Institute's Director, Prof. Dr. Arturo Azcorra, has been elected to the Board of Directors of the European Technology Platform responsible for coordinating the €7 billion “5G PPP*” initiative. The creation of a Joint Research Unit (JRU**) in 5G technologies with Telefónica, the coordination of one of Europe's flagship 5G projects, iJOIN, and the recent selection of another of its ongoing projects, CROWD, to be part of the group of “5G precursor projects,” are further examples of the Institute's current scientific work in advanced telecommunications research.
*Public-Private Partnership (PPP)
**Joint Research Unit (JRU)
