6G-PathToVLC

The 6G-PathToVLC project, extends Europe’s pre-6G ecosystem by integrating the Universitat Politècnica de Valencia (UPV)’s advanced Beyond-5G (B5G) testbed. Originating from the Spanish UNICO I+D initiative, UPV became Spain’s first university licensed as a private 5G network operator, with its testbed already supporting EU research like IMAGINE-B5G and upcoming open-call experiments. In this project, the testbed will be upgraded with 5G Rel-17 and RedCap capabilities, enabling future 6G use case trials.

UPV brings extensive 5G experience through past projects (FUDGE-5G, 5G-INDUCE, iNGENIOUS), maintaining active interconnections with industrial and logistics test sites. It is also connected to frameworks like FIDAL-VLC and supports 6G-PATH’s southbound APIs, Network-as-Code, and CAPIF features.

The consortium also includes Fivecomm, a Spanish SME specializing in 5G/IoT devices, which will provide 5G Rel-16/17 and RedCap devices for experiments.

The project focuses on two key 6G-PATH verticals: smart cities and education. For smart cities, UPV’s campus—hosting over 30,000 people—offers a realistic urban environment with mmWave and sub-6 GHz deployments, soon to include RedCap. For education, a B5G immersive lab with XR, haptics, and AI-based personalized learning enables cutting-edge educational trials.

6G-PathToVLC will generate scientific outputs and contribute to UPV’s educational innovation projects, while strengthening Fivecomm’s role in the European B5G/6G and IoT landscape. The project positions Valencia as a frontrunner in 6G innovation and supports the development of a sustainable, connected digital future.