CONNECTED COUNTRYSIDE - VINNOVA #2024-01719

Locally owned communication infrastructure

Instead of relying exclusively on large centrally deployed mobile networks, the project investigates how smaller actors can participate in building the communication infrastructure of the future. Small and modular base stations could allow municipalities, communities, industries, and other local organisations to extend connectivity where and when it is needed.

LoRa-based field trials are used to simulate how locally owned infrastructure could operate in a future 6G environment. The project combines these technical experiments with research into scalable business models, ownership structures, and operational requirements.

The ambition is not simply to improve today’s rural coverage, but to bring lessons from these deployments into the design and standardisation of 6G so that future mobile networks can support more decentralised deployment models.

Connectivity for healthcare, industry and defence

The project studies connectivity from several perspectives. One work package focuses on current needs in healthcare and elderly care, where reliable communication can enable digital services even in remote communities. Another examines the future requirements of industry and defence, including communication for autonomous transport and logistics.

These use cases place demanding requirements on availability, security, and resilience. By addressing civilian and military needs together, the project explores dual-use communication infrastructure that can support everyday digital services while also strengthening preparedness and societal resilience.

Building towards rural 6G

A central objective is to ensure that the needs of rural communities are considered while the next generation of mobile networks is being developed. The project therefore uses practical field trials not only to test technology, but also to identify design criteria and concepts that can contribute to future 6G standardisation.

By combining local ownership, modular infrastructure, IoT technologies, new business models, and real-world rural use cases, A Connected Countryside aims to demonstrate a complementary model for building future communication networks, in which smaller actors can help extend digital infrastructure beyond the areas served by traditional deployment models.