Nokia has opened a 6G Lab at its R&D center in Bangalore, India.

The vendor said that the lab will explore the development of innovative use cases underpinned by 6G technology.

According to Nokia, the 6G lab supports the Government of India’s ‘Bharat 6G Vision,’ introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which envisions a key global role for India in the standardization, development, and implementation of 6G technology.

The Bharat 6G Vision is essentially a strategy to create 6G technology in India by 2030, and includes participation from Airtel, Jio, Vodafone Idea, and Tech Mahindra.

Nokia states that the lab will "function as a platform for collaboration for industry stakeholders and facilitate the testing of innovative solutions."

Nokia's 6G Lab includes a setup to research ‘Network as a Sensor’ technology that enables the network to sense objects, people, and movement without the need for on-board sensors, while the lab will also provide an experimental platform for researching algorithms, privacy, and sustainable system design.

"Nokia is honored to contribute towards the realization of the Indian government’s Bharat 6G vision. We look forward to collaborating with key stakeholders to help India become a major player in 6G technology development and adoption; and take its place in the global arena as a leading developer and supplier of advanced telecom technologies and solutions," said Nishant Batra, chief strategy and technology officer of Nokia.

The facility is expected to form a common view with international alliances, including Europe’s flagship 6G research projects, Hexa-X and Hexa-X-II.

Minister of Railways, Communications, Electronics & IT, Government of India, Ashwini Vaishnaw, said the 6G Lab will explore use cases around transportation safety, health care, and education.