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We are pleased to highlight our participation in AMBIENT‑6G, an initiative advancing standardized 6G connectivity for ambiently‑powered, energy‑neutral IoT devices. The AMBIENT-6G project has received funding from the Smart Networks and Services Joint Undertaking (SNS JU) under the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under Grant Agreement No 101192113. The program brings together 11 partners across 6 countries, with a €8.42M budget over three years, beginning January 2025. Its core ambition: enabling IoT devices that operate for decades without batteries, using only harvested ambient energy. [ambient-6g.eu], [cordis.europa.eu]

AMBIENT‑6G addresses one of Europe’s most critical future challenges: how to sustainably power hundreds of billions of IoT sensors without relying on disposable or rechargeable batteries that create massive environmental and operational burdens. The program aims to define a new class of Energy‑Neutral Devices (ENDs) and adapt 6G network infrastructure to connect them seamlessly.

Spotlight on Sequans’ role in AMBIENT‑6G

As a key industrial partner, Sequans contributes its modem, silicon, and low‑power IoT expertise to help shape the hardware–software foundations of intelligent, energy‑neutral IoT devices and the 6G network technologies that will support them.

1. Designing ultra‑low‑power communication paths for energy‑neutral devices

AMBIENT‑6G explores backscatter, ultra‑low‑power active radios, and 6G LPWAN innovations to achieve microwatt‑level operation. Sequans contributes expertise in low‑power 5G/LPWA modem architectures to help align these new communication schemes with realistic chip‑level constraints, ensuring that END concepts remain manufacturable and scalable.

2. Hardware–software co‑design for ambient‑powered operation

ENDs rely on energy harvesting, super‑capacitor storage, and adaptive energy‑aware logic. Sequans’ experience designing efficient IoT chipsets supports the program’s objective to define integrated HW/SW architectures capable of balancing harvested power, processing, and wireless transmission.

3. Advancing a new 6G low‑power wide‑area technology

AMBIENT‑6G aims to create a radically more efficient 6G LPWAN layer, with energy consumption far below today’s NB‑IoT or RedCap devices. Sequans contributes technical insight into LPWAN modem feasibility, spectral behavior, signaling cost, and power‑efficient radio design, informing the project’s architectural choices.

4. Enabling on‑device and edge‑AI for intelligent resource management

The project integrates machine learning across the Cloud‑Edge‑Device continuum to optimize device behavior (energy budgeting, sensing, communication scheduling). Sequans supports this by providing chip‑level understanding needed to develop AI models that run within extremely tight power budgets.

5. Supporting 3GPP Ambient‑IoT standardization

A major goal is contributing to 3GPP Ambient‑IoT and related standards. Sequans’ longstanding involvement in cellular IoT standardization positions it to help ensure that END communication modes, device classes, and deployment models are consistent with future 6G standards.

Why AMBIENT‑6G matters for Europe

AMBIENT‑6G supports Europe’s leadership in:

• Sustainable, battery‑free IoT at massive scale
• Extremely low‑power 6G radio innovation
• Standardization of Ambient‑IoT in 3GPP
• Energy‑aware AI and edge intelligence
• Open science and EU industrial competitiveness

With the rise of IoT sensors in industry, agriculture, smart cities, environmental monitoring, logistics and more, AMBIENT‑6G is laying the groundwork for truly maintenance‑free, scalable, and environmentally responsible connectivity.

Sequans is proud to help shape the devices and technologies that will make energy‑neutral 6G IoT a reality.