Advancing Sustainable 6G: From Research to Real-World Impact – An Interview with Ali Balador (Ericsson)

Ali Balador, Senior Researcher at Ericsson and Work Package 3 leader in the SUSTAIN-6G project, outlines the project’s approach to shaping the next generation of network technologies with sustainability at its core.

Work Package 3 focuses on key 6G network technologies, including radio access, core networks, cloud and data centre infrastructures. The goal of WP3 is to analyse the current state of the art, reviewing existing use cases and technological developments. From there, they will identify research and innovation topics with strong potential to improve sustainability outcomes, particularly in terms of energy use and overall impact.

The project then moves beyond analysis into design and implementation. Selected technologies are developed, tested and demonstrated through proofs of concept, contributing across multiple work packages within the SUSTAIN-6G project.

According to Ali Balador, what sets SUSTAIN-6G apart is its broader perspective on sustainability. While many initiatives concentrate primarily on energy efficiency, this project adopts a more comprehensive approach built on three pillars: environmental, economic and social sustainability. This wider scope introduces new challenges, especially in assessing and measuring social and economic impact, which are less straightforward than energy metrics.

By combining expertise from across the consortium, the project aims to both share knowledge and integrate sustainability principles into future products and solutions. This collaborative effort supports the development of more responsible and future-ready 6G technologies, which also align with Ericsson’s vision for 2040 with its Net Zero initiative.

Discover the full interview here: https://youtu.be/9CsdApMpzKI