6G-REFERENCE: Building Hardware Foundations for Distributed 6G Systems

The 6G-REFERENCE (6G haRdware Enablers For cEll fRee cohEreNt Communications & sEnsing) project is laying the groundwork for a new generation of hardware platforms that will enable dense, distributed 6G networks. Focused on hardware innovation for Distributed MIMO systems, it addresses some of the most pressing challenges in realising 6G communication and sensing, especially in dense urban environments.

Future 6G systems will require flexible deployments where fibre access is not guaranteed. In such scenarios, synchronisation in both frequency and time over the air becomes a core requirement. Simultaneously, these systems must support higher data capacity while integrating sensing capabilities. Achieving all of this with low-cost, low-complexity and energy-efficient hardware is a formidable task, which 6G-REFERENCE aims to tackle by focusing on the 10 to 15 GHz frequency range, known as FR3.

The project is pursuing several innovations. It is developing radio frequency hardware to handle the data and scheduling needs of Distributed MIMO. It is also working on over-the-air synchronisation techniques that support not just high-capacity data transmission but also accurate time distribution and positioning. New radio frequency and antenna components are being designed to provide advanced spatial and frequency selectivity without increasing complexity or cost. These efforts aim to deliver hardware solutions that can coexist with current services in the same frequency range while enabling disruptive capabilities such as integrated sensing and communication.

In urban use cases, where traffic demands and user densities continue to rise, ultra-dense cell-free deployments are seen as the path forward. These systems can blend the advantages of sub-6 GHz, such as reduced path loss, with those of millimetre wave frequencies, such as wider bandwidths. To realise this, 6G-REFERENCE is addressing five key challenges: accurate synchronisation, efficient fronthaul distribution, integrated sensing, hardware simplicity, and spectrum coexistence.

The project is exploring integrated circuits and antenna designs that enable full duplex fronthaul data exchange and monostatic radar sensing. Synchronisation technologies will be repurposed for precise localisation, while environmental sensors embedded in antenna systems will generate virtual maps of environmental quality. Advances in antenna filtering and dynamic intermediate frequency management will support efficient use of spectrum in shared environments.

By contributing new microelectronic components for densified deployments, 6G-REFERENCE will help to advance coherent data transmission, precise localisation, and sensing. Its energy-efficient designs will support sustainable coverage, particularly in high-density areas, and enable new applications that bring together the physical, digital and human worlds. Through its hardware-centric approach, the project also contributes to global climate goals by integrating environmental sensing directly into communication infrastructure.

The ultimate goal is to establish a commercially viable reference design for 6G distributed radios that aligns with ongoing standardisation efforts and informs future system requirements. In doing so, 6G-REFERENCE is positioning itself at the core of Europe’s 6G innovation ecosystem.

A 6G-REFERENCE project presentation from last year is embedded below and the slides are available here.

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