The second webinar in the TIMES6G series, titled “Green and Sustainable Wireless Networks”, gathered experts from academia and industry to explore how next-generation 6G technologies can be designed with environmental responsibility at their core. The event underscored the relevance of sustainability in the evolving communications landscape, particularly as the sector prepares for the high-frequency, high-performance challenges posed by THz communications.
The session featured a detailed look at the TIMES6G project’s mission to develop energy-efficient, THz-enabled mesh networks for industrial applications. Emphasis was placed on intelligent beamforming, adaptive network topologies, and low-power reconfigurable metasurfaces. These components are being engineered to reduce the overall energy footprint of dense wireless networks while maintaining ultra-low latency and extreme data rates—key performance indicators for Industry 4.0 scenarios.
Partner Contributions and Research Impact
One of the highlights of the webinar was the contribution from Astreo, a project partner known for its work on advanced sensor technologies and AI-driven communication systems. Their presentation detailed how sensing and network intelligence can be combined to enable context-aware energy management in wireless networks. Through innovations in ultra-low-power RF design and real-time data-driven optimization, Astreo aims to support greener connectivity models that balance performance with environmental impact.
All in all, TIMES6G is integrating sustainability from both technological and architectural standpoints. For example, THz propagation models are being designed to account for materials, energy dissipation, and the role of metasurfaces in enhancing signal focus and reducing unnecessary power expenditure. These advancements support the project’s broader goal of aligning 6G with EU green transition objectives.
With the TIMES6G project running through the end of 2025, this event served as a milestone in raising awareness about the energy demands of future wireless networks and the critical research being undertaken to mitigate them.