Ranplan Selected for EU-Funded NEWTON Project to Advance Next-Generation 6G Cell-Free Networks

Cambridge, UK, 24 February 2026 - Ranplan today announced its participation in NEWTON (NovEl tEchnologies for converged Wireless-opTical cOnfiguratioNs), a multi-partner European research initiative funded under the Marie Skodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) programme. The project officially commences on 1 March 2026 and will run until 28 February 2030.

Ranplan Selected for EU-Funded NEWTON Project to Advance Next-Generation 6G Cell-Free Networks

NEWTON aims to develop a converged wireless-optical 6G architecture built around a cell-free (CF) network approach, designed to support ultra-dense and high-coverage environments. By integrating advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities across the radio-edge, regional-edge, and network management domains, the project targets sub-second latency, connectivity exceeding one million devices per square kilometre, and user-experienced data rates of up to 10 Gbps.

As part of the prestigious €4.35 million EU-funded NEWTON project, Ranplan has secured funding to support its role in the development and assessment of next-generation 6G technologies. The consortium includes leading research institutions and industry partners such as IQUADRAT INFORMATICA SL, NVIDIA Denmark, KU Leuven, EURECOM, ATHINA Research Center, University of West Attica, ISRD, and Universitat Oberta de Catalunya.

NEWTON addresses critical challenges facing future wireless networks, including efficient Channel State Information (CSI) acquisition in dense cell-free deployments, scalable data-centre interconnection aligned with Open RAN principles, and AI-driven resource allocation for optimised network and computational performance. The outcomes will help lay the technical foundation for high-capacity, energy-efficient, and intelligent 6G infrastructures.

Ranplan will contribute its expertise in advanced wireless network modelling, simulation, and optimisation to support the design and validation of the project's innovative architectures, ensuring that theoretical advances translate into practical, deployable solutions.

Professor Jie Zhang, Chief Scientific Officer at Ranplan, commented: "NEWTON represents an important step toward realising practical and scalable 6G networks. By combining wireless and optical technologies within a cell-free architecture and embedding AI across the network stack, the project addresses some of the most fundamental challenges in future connectivity. We are proud to contribute our modelling and simulation expertise to help shape efficient, high-performance 6G systems that will support the next generation of digital services."

Through its involvement in NEWTON, Ranplan continues to strengthen its role in European collaborative research, supporting innovation that advances wireless network performance, efficiency, and scalability for future digital ecosystems.

For more information about the NEWTON project, visit the European Commission's CORDIS portal.

Contact information:
Sam Lay-Flurrie, Head of Marketing
[email protected]

Ranplan Wireless pioneers software solutions for the design, optimization and simulation of in-building and urban outdoor wireless networks. Supporting a wide range of technologies-including 4G LTE, 5G, Wi-Fi, IoT, TETRA, and P25-our solutions enable an ecosystem of companies to deploy next-generation wireless networks for diverse applications. Our open platform, intelligent automation, and 3D ray-tracing simulations streamline the network planning process, expertly identifying potential issues and optimizing network performance for reliable connectivity. This results in an unparalleled quality of service, ensuring seamless and efficient wireless communication for end users and businesses. For more information, visit www.ranplanwireless.com.

Ranplan Wireless is a subsidiary of Ranplan Group AB (Nasdaq First North: RPLAN) whose head office is in Stockholm, Sweden. The group operates out of offices in the UK, USA and China.