5G Funding Calls

Specific Challenge:

The challenge is to go well beyond the 5G capabilities developed under 3G PPP release 16 that will become available early 2020. It also looks beyond 5G to prepare for the realisation of Smart Connectivity systems as a platform for a Next-Generation Internet, which should support a highly flexible connectivity infrastructure that can dynamically adapt to changing requirements of innovative applications whilst facilitating user data control and
innovation friendly implementation of relevant legislation. This requires a full value-chain approach towards seamless and secure end-to-end interworking with computing resources (e.g. distributed data centres, edge computing) and with a range of innovative devices.

Scope: 

The work covers the long term transformation of networks into a distributed smart connectivity platform with high integration with (edge) computing and storage resources. Work should lead to solutions where processes and applications are dynamically supported depending on the information flows and application requirements. It should enable novel interaction between human and digital systems based on new terminal types embedded in the daily environment, e.g. in cars, doors, mirrors, appliances, and new interfaces recognising gestures, facial expressions, sound and haptics. Work should lead to smart connectivity infrastructure with adaptive topologies that supports a virtually infinite capacity and perceived zero latency, highly diverse device densities and highest reliability and availability. It should lead to professional grade of security and privacy whilst bringing down OPEX, CAPEX, and
energy consumption. 

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of between EUR 5 and 12million would allow this area to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts. In particular, initiatives with strong structuring effects across a large set of key industry stakeholders and programmatic impact for future European actions in the domain of Smart
Network and Services may target the higher budget range.

Specific Challenge:

Software networks provide high flexibility through implementation of virtual network functions (VNFs). VNF's may be chained across several domains to create Network Applications (NetApps) tailored to the requirements of specific tenants, as demonstrated under previous 5G PPP phases. This requires open platforms that provide access to networks resources which can then be used to develop NetApps supporting requirements and developments from specific vertical sectors.

Scope:

Experimentation facilities able to provide enhanced experimentation infrastructures on top of which third party experimenters e.g. SMEs or any service provider and target vertical users will have the opportunity to test their applications in an integrated, open, cooperative and fully featured network platform running across multiple domains where needed, and tailored to specific vertical use case.

The objective is to focus on innovation for operations and secure/trusted service provisioning taking advantage of experimental facilities featuring virtualised and software implemented functions and representative of a redesigned virtualised access/core network. The facilities should provide opportunities for SMEs and developers to experiment their applications in the context of specific vertical use cases on open experimental network platforms, and to create 5G open source repositories for wide use and towards standards development. Typical vertical use cases include connected and automated mobility, smart factories and industry 4.0 use cases. Furthermore, healthcare, PPDR, energy, media though other verticals may be considered.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of between EUR 4 and 6 million would allow this area to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

Specific Challenge:

5G offers prospects for a range of new technologies and hardware devices to enter the market and to create economic opportunities for new and innovative market actors. The challenge is hence to reap the fruits of earlier R&D investments in these enabling technologies to support the emergence of new markets and new market actors in Europe.

Scope:

Enabling technologies: The key 5G technological blocks under consideration are primarily hardware-based and include, but are not limited to, phase array antenna, array processors, millimetre wave devices and subsystems, photonics based devices, baseband processor platforms, low-cost access points, new generation of 5G terminals notably for future Connected and Automated Mobility, in order to provide opportunities for innovative hightech SMEs access to new markets through pilot validation of promising solutions. A special emphasis will be put on new types of IoT devices demonstrating the use of 5G connectivity functionalities addressing requirements of one or several vertical industry sectors. The actions go beyond individual components and also address integration and validation of technologies as part of an overall architecture representing a subset of 5G network functions. Their added value is in the validation of the target component as part of its integration into an overall architecture representing a subset of 5G network functions.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of between EUR 4 and 6 million would allow this area to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts.

Specific Challenge:

The challenge is to qualify and characterise the latest version of 5G specifications as available from 3G PP release 16 early 2020 (5G NR-V2X and beyond) in the context of advanced use cases deployment in Europe of CAM that may also benefit from Artificial Intelligence (AI) solutions. It targets use cases beyond C-ITS safety applications in view of enabling use cases in the context of complete connectivity-enabled ecosystems around cars and vehicles. It supports the realisation of the strategic objective of having all major transport paths covered with 5G connectivity by 202531 through cross-border trials along major transport paths planned for CAM deployment ("5G corridors"32) and paves the way towards operational deployment as envisaged with the Connecting Europe Facility proposal. The work is also relevant to cross border railway corridors in view of providing services to trains, including in the context of the planned Future Railways Mobile Communication Systems (FRMCS) planned to replace GSM-R around 2030.

Scope:

The validation of the latest available 5G specification in the context of innovative CAM applications under realistic conditions and seamlessly functioning across borders. This is realised through cross-border trials along 5G corridors covering significant portions of roads or railways and including the core technological innovation expected from 5G release 16 including positioning services, or beyond. Relevant work takes a broad innovation perspective covering use cases in the vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V), vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I), vehicle-to-pedestrian (V2P), and vehicle-to-network (V2N) domains including the supporting service infrastructure. The work covers the key 5G innovation in support of innovative CAM ecosystems, notably at radio, RAN and core network levels. It also includes supporting innovations in the area of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enable advanced CAM use cases managing a broad range of relevant data sets based on connectivity and sensors. It is based on a multi-tenant business architecture that optimises the return on investments and the efficiency of the deployed connectivity and service infrastructure, while considering the opportunity of a European cloud supporting Europe-wide roaming of CAM services. Beyond technological validation, the proposed pilots will allow to better understand the roles, relations and responsibilities of market players and public authorities within the CAM ecosystem.

The work is also expected to provide a clear co-existence between multiple technologies (IEEE 802.11p, C-V2X, 5G-V2X) and migration path towards the use of 5G as the technology for CAM. It targets implementation  cross different business domains through coverage of cross border 5G corridors as supported by groups of neighbouring Member States. Projects should complement the deployment plans for the 5G CAM trials along the cross-border corridors in scope of the project with long-term roadmaps for the deployment of the 5G infrastructure along the relevant corridors in view of larger-scale testing and early introduction of 5G-based CAM services along these corridors.

The work may include advanced services on board of international trains covering passenger services, train traffic management services, as well as other operational services in preparation for the advent of the FRMCS, including migration from previous generation issues (GSM-R) and spectrum sharing aspects. Aspects of service and infrastructure sharing or coordination for both the automotive and railway use cases, notably in cities, is in scope, as
well as multimodal solutions for passengers with the view to offering business continuity to users of the different means of public and private transportation.

The Commission considers that proposals requesting a contribution from the EU of between EUR 7 and 10 million would allow this area to be addressed appropriately. Nonetheless, this does not preclude submission and selection of proposals requesting other amounts. Proposals may cover the automotive case only, the railway case only, or both.