Anterra (101072363) - Antenna Systems Experts for 6G Non-Terrestrial Networks

Our society is on the brink of a new age with the development of new visionary concepts such as internet of things, autonomous driving, and coverage everywhere. This stimulates the use of new deployment concepts, such as Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN), to support the wireless communication evolution. For 6G, a key use case which stands unaddressed by prior telecommunication generations, is that of coverage everywhere. A major candidate to solve this issue, is to deploy a network of satellites in an NTN configuration, which is front hauled by a high-gain gateway cell in order to serve rural and remote areas which up until now is lacking coverage. Here, especially novel energy efficient antenna systems are required to track fast moving satellites while meeting the cost targets of the consumer market. One of the major reasons for not addressing this thus far is the lack of expertise about non-terrestrial communication in the classical (terrestrial) telecommunication industry, which underpins the urgent need for a cross-disciplinary industrial doctorate network.

ANTERRA establishes a unique and well-structured training network with leading R&D labs from European industries, universities and technology institutes in the domain of antenna systems for terrestrial as well as non-terrestrial applications. The 15 ESRs will form a research team that is embedded in leading industrial and academic R&D labs. The programme will strongly enhance the employability and career prospects of the ESRs by offering a high-quality consortium with in-depth training in the technical areas as well as a comprehensive set of transferable skills relevant for innovation and long-term employability. The ESRs will all spend at least 18 months of their time at industry, ensuring that the training includes a significant industrial experience and application.

Next-generation wireless networks are envisioned to break the boundaries of current terrestrial-based systems, delivering seamless services anywhere and anytime and providing coverage in areas unreachable by any conventional terrestrial network. Funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the ANTERRA project aims to address the lack of expertise in non-terrestrial communication in the telecommunication industry. Fifteen PhD students will receive training on antenna systems for non-terrestrial networks, a key enabler in achieving truly global coverage. ANTERRA has established a well-structured training network with leading R&D labs from European industries, universities and technological institutes in the field.