Skip to content Accessibility statement

Making waves in mobile networks

News

Posted on Monday 12 December 2022

A University of York-led bid to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has successfully won more than £7.3m for a project to help reduce reliance on single suppliers in the UK’s telecommunications network.

Flexible

A team from the School of Physics, Engineering and Technology led on the project bid, which is part of a £25m challenge from DCMS to universities to work with telecoms organisations to develop open and flexible wireless networks.

The aim is to conduct research and development to help change the way mobile radio base stations can connect with each other and the core telecommunications network.

Resilient

The Yorkshire Open Radio Access Network project (YO-RAN) sees York-based academics partner with the University of Sheffield and businesses across Yorkshire and beyond.

The project will test ways to help move the UK’s mobile network towards a resilient, interoperable approach allowing a diversity of suppliers, strengthening UK research and development capabilities as 6G rolls out.

Partners

Professor Alister Burr said: “We’re delighted to be leading this important initiative, bringing together two leading Yorkshire universities and a number of significant operators and suppliers. Open-RAN has become an important focus of our research in both universities, and also fits well with the expertise of our industrial partners.

"We hope YO-RAN will help lay the foundations of a new industry in our region especially, as well as strengthening the UK telecoms capability and UK telecoms research and development.”

Research newsletter

Our monthly research newsletter features a curated mix of news, events, and recent discoveries delivered straight to your inbox.

Sign up

Explore more news

News

18 June 2026

The University of York has risen 11 places to joint 158th globally in the latest QS World University Rankings.

News

18 June 2026

The University has partnered with Martingale Foundation to offer fully-funded postgraduate STEM scholarships, tackling financial barriers for talented students from low-socioeconomic backgrounds.

News

17 June 2026

Three new collaborative projects designed to address key challenges in the region including housing, wealth inequality and youth unemployment have been announced by the University of York.

News

16 June 2026

Autonomous canopy-exploring drones and advanced genetics will be used in two new research projects to tackle biodiversity loss, protect vulnerable species and restore failing habitats.

News

15 June 2026

A renowned printing type that was thrown into the River Thames more than a century ago, has been used to print a book for the first time since its recovery from the muddy waters.

Read more news