5G networks are the next generation of mobile connectivity, offering faster speeds and more reliable connections on smartphones and other devices. 5G will also help to power Internet of Things technology, allowing for a smarter and more connected world.

A team of researchers at Queen’s University Belfast’s Centre for Wireless Innovation have won a global award for their work in creating a solution which will reduce the cost of 5G mobile network infrastructure.

The team’s solution is a 28GHz front-end beamformer, which reduces the complexity and cost of mmWave MIMO RF front-ends in 5G mobile networks.

Dr Muhammad Ali Babar Abbasi accepted the grand prize of the Mobile World Scholar Challenge at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February 2019 on behalf of his Belfast-based team which includes Professor Vince Fusco, Dr Michalis Matthaiou and Dr Harsh Tataria. The congress is the largest and most important gathering for the mobile industry in the world with more than 2,400 exhibiting companies and over 100,000 delegates.

Professor Dimitrios Nikolopoulos, Director of The Institute of Electronics, Communications and Information Technology (ECIT) at Queen’s University Belfast said:

“We are very proud of our researchers, as three out of five finalists in this competition were from ECIT and winning this prestigious award is both fitting and well deserved. They are ‘blazing a trail’ in the area of mobile – specifically 5G – research and their solutions look set to have a global impact as 5G gradually replaces the 4G networks. We have a strong focus at Queen’s that our research is impactful and of benefit to society – this is a great example of how academic research and inventions can have a major impact.”

The Centre for Wireless Innovation (CWI) is part of the Institute of Electronics, Communications and Information Technology (ECIT) at Queen’s University Belfast. CWI is the UK’s largest research, development and exploitation base in physical layer wireless.