Ericsson and Nokia collaborate on groundbreaking 6G video standards

Monday 27 October 2025 - 13:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Ericsson and Nokia collaborate on groundbreaking 6G video standards

European telecom giants Ericsson and Nokia have partnered with Germany's Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute to develop next-generation video coding standards for the upcoming 6G era. The collaboration, announced on October 27, revealed groundbreaking video compression technology that significantly outperforms current industry standards.

A leap in video compression technology

The three partners have, for the first time, combined their expertise in video codec research to create a new standard that delivers vastly improved compression efficiency compared to existing H.264/AVC, H.265/HEVC, and H.266/VVC codecs. Notably, these advancements have been achieved without increasing complexity, while also enhancing energy efficiency and scalability.

The documented research has earned positive evaluations from the ITU-T Video Coding Experts Group and the ISO/IEC Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG), marking a critical milestone toward future standardization.

Strengthening Europe's role in global standards

This partnership is a strategic effort to bolster Europe's leadership in next-generation video coding standards. Magnus Frodigh, Head of Research at Ericsson, emphasized the collaboration’s significance: "As a global leader in connectivity, Ericsson is uniquely positioned to develop 6G-enabling capabilities. Our joint codec innovation highlights Europe's ability to pioneer breakthroughs and demonstrates our shared commitment to shaping the next generation of standards."

Nokia, bringing over three decades of experience in video codec development, highlighted its pivotal role in previous market-adopted codecs. Ville-Veikko Mattila, Head of Multimedia Technologies at Nokia, stressed the importance of integrating openness, excellence, and sustainability into the next wave of digital media experiences.

Aligning with 6G deployment timelines

The new video codec standard is expected to be operational between 2029 and 2030, aligning with the anticipated rollout of 6G networks. This alignment positions the technology as a cornerstone for emerging applications such as AI-generated content, 3D gaming, immersive media experiences, and machine-to-machine communication.

The codec is expected to define the digital media landscape for the next decade, supporting use cases ranging from autonomous vehicles to industrial automation.

Professor Thomas Wiegand, Executive Director of Fraunhofer HHI, underscored the broader implications: "Video technologies are at the heart of tomorrow's digital experiences. Our joint research with Ericsson and Nokia showcases Europe’s advanced media technology capabilities and its active role in global standardization efforts."