École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) is also collaborating with the programme as an academic partner. Dozens of its labs are working on the increased connectivity of people, objects and infrastructures.
Applications are being devised and tested with industrial partners in various sectors, such as intelligent mobility, smart grids and virtual reality. The research results will support the definition of international standards for 5G, with completion planned for 2019.
"5G is still in the early stages of development. For Swisscom it is essential to be in on the planning from the start, preparing for future applications,” said Heinz Herren, CTO and CIO of Swisscom.
The launch extends Ericsson’s 5G for Europe programme, which was announced in 2015, seeks to bring together major industrial players, the public sector and leading universities to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness and maximise the benefits of the networked society.
