A1 Bulgaria joined the European project 6G-VERSUS

A1 Bulgaria, the leading provider of digital services and telecommunication solutions in Bulgaria, has officially launched the EU co-funded 6G-VERSUS (6G Vertical Trials for Sustainability) initiative, which explores the possibilities of sixth generation networks. The project is implemented by a consortium of 34 partners from business and academia fields in 10 countries in Europe.

As an active participant in the initiative, A1 Bulgaria is developing a pilot project “Optimising distributed renewable energy using artificial intelligence” in collaboration with smart energy solutions developer Entra Energy, the University of Cyprus and Software Company Ltd. The practical application of the 6G technologies on which the cluster is working on are aimed at transmission grid management, predictability and wind farm maintenance.

“A1 continues to set standards in telecommunications – for the second year in a row we are among the global leaders with the fourth fastest mobile network in the world, and our 5G ULTRA network now reaches over 86% of the population and offers speeds of over 1.96 Gbps. These successes inspire us to take on the next challenge – the development of 6G technologies. We are proud to collaborate with some of the most progressive organisations in Europe to achieve a more sustainable and technological future together. Our participation in 6G-VERSUS is also a confirmation of our commitment to the ESG goals we set ourselves – as a company and as a society”, said Alexander Dimitrov, CEO of A1 Bulgaria.

The EU co-funded 6G-VERSUS project has a duration of 36 months. The aim is to demonstrate how 6G technologies can advance sustainability through examples of their use in different industries. Also, one of the ideas is to design and develop a 6G-based application framework that brings together the three key elements: vertical industries, artificial intelligence and network applications.

Together with the Bulgarian cluster, the Greek participants in the project will demonstrate a pilot project for a “robotic process for search and rescue operations”. The Spanish representatives are developing a “drive mechanism for remote field operations” and in Portugal they are developing a “sustainable and secure port infrastructure”. The French cluster’s pilot is dedicated to “data-driven strategies for water and waste management in critical infrastructures”, and the Finnish one to “energy self-powered 5G base stations”.

“The consortium has launched the project with the confidence that it will achieve significant results for the development and commercialisation of 6G technologies in various industries, demonstrating the sustainability benefits,” commented project coordinator Sanna Tuomela from the University of Oulu.