The Future Network Services (FNS) consortium is taking the next step in developing 6G network technology. After an initial 61-million-euro allocation in 2024, it’s been awarded an additional 142 million euros from the Dutch National Growth Fund (NGF), to which participating companies are adding another 72 million. The second phase focuses on 6G network chips, software and AI for 6G and practical applications in sectors where the Netherlands is strong, such as healthcare, energy, mobility and logistics.
6G will transmit data faster and connect far more devices than 5G, while adding sensing capabilities. Radio signals will be able to detect objects through their reflections, similar to radar, opening new possibilities for transport and logistics. Mobile networks on the ground will be more tightly integrated with satellite communications. Reliability, predictability and resilience will rise significantly, enabling applications such as wireless factories and real-time control of energy systems.
In phase 1, the FNS program produced several component prototypes. The team in Eindhoven demonstrated a wireless optical link spanning 4.6 kilometers and achieving a world-record speed of 5.7 terabits per second. NXP developed the first Wi-Int chips, a new international standard that acts as a wireless USB connection. Partners also built Oakestra, an AI-driven tool for automated mobile-network control.
The consortium tested multiple real-world applications: drones carrying urgent medical goods, a wireless factory where machines communicate without cables, connected medical equipment in an operating theater and smart traffic detection at a Rotterdam junction. Partners also established the National 6G Testbed, an infrastructure of five regional testing sites in Groningen, Amersfoort, The Hague, Delft and Eindhoven, where companies can trial their 6G innovations.
In phase 2, the consortium will turn the program’s knowledge into economic value. Fifteen new companies will join and more than 100 SMEs have already signed up to run pilots within the National 6G Testbed, developing and testing wireless innovations. Startups and scale-ups will receive additional support to secure funding. International collaboration will intensify, particularly with Finland, Sweden and Germany, and beyond Europe with Japan and Taiwan. A further ambitious goal is to build the first fully wireless factory in the Netherlands.
“With this investment in 6G, TNO and more than sixty companies and research institutions are building the backbone of our future digital economy. By taking control of this vital infrastructure ourselves, we strengthen our strategic position and reduce dependence on foreign players,” says TNO CEO Tjark Tjin-A-Tsoi.
