Joint Research on Testbeds to Help Fast-Track Innovation in the "Beyond 5G" Era

In the 2030s, next-generation wireless communication technologies ("Beyond 5G") will come into widespread use, dramatically increasing the volume of information that is distributed on the Internet, and this will accelerate the development and market deployment of services that use digital technologies. When this happens, industries will need to respond quickly to consumer needs through the creation of diverse and rapid innovation.

Testbeds have attracted notice as a venue for conducting repeated tests to support the creation of innovation. MRI and Akihiro Nakao Research Laboratory have conducted joint research on testbeds in achieving rapid and diverse innovation in the "Beyond 5G" era.

The joint research project examined case studies of advanced testbeds both at home and abroad. Based on the knowledge obtained through this research, the requirements (speed, diversity, inclusivity) for a testbed called the Rapid Innovation Testbed (RITB) that will serve as a venue for supporting innovation in the "Beyond 5G" era were identified.

In addition, two specific implementations of testbed that fulfill these requirements were proposed: the "harmoniously integrated full-featured testbed" that removes the barriers between operators and developers and also involves consumers to speed up market verification, and the "multiple sector collaboration type testbed that integrates cyberspace with physical space," which links the real world with a "digital twin" to achieve data integration across multiple sectors.

MRI and the Akihiro Nakao Research Laboratory will continue to pursue research in collaboration with relevant institutions to achieve the two proposed RITB.