Ericsson, Nokia, and Germany’s Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute (HHI) have formed a new partnership to drive the next generation of video coding standards for the 6G era. The collaboration aims to deliver a codec that provides significantly higher compression efficiency than existing standards such as H.264/AVC, H.265/HEVC, and H.266/VVC, while improving energy efficiency and scalability across devices and networks.
The partners’ joint proof-of-concept was positively reviewed by the ITU-T Video Coding Experts Group and the ISO/IEC Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG), marking an early milestone in defining the foundation for future immersive and mobile video applications. The new codec will support emerging use cases such as 3D and AI-generated content, low-latency streaming, and video coding for industrial and automotive systems. The next video coding standard is expected to be operational between 2029 and 2030, aligning with anticipated 6G deployments.
This initiative reinforces Europe’s leadership in multimedia technology and global standardization. Ericsson, Nokia, and Fraunhofer HHI researchers combined their decades of expertise to strengthen Europe’s contribution to the international standardization process, following a long lineage of European contributions to the H.26x family of codecs that underpin today’s digital media ecosystem.
• Ericsson, Nokia, and Fraunhofer HHI collaborate to shape next-generation video coding standards for 6G
• Proof-of-concept shows higher compression efficiency than H.266/VVC without added complexity
• Next standard to support immersive media, AI-generated video, gaming, and industrial applications
• Standardization process endorsed by ITU-T and ISO/IEC groups
• Expected operational timeframe: 2029–2030, defining the next decade of video experiences
Ville-Veikko Mattila, Head of Multimedia Technologies at Nokia, said: “By working together at the very start of the standardization journey, we will ensure that the values of openness, excellence, and sustainability are embedded in the next generation of digital media experiences.”
🌐 Analysis: The collaboration between Ericsson, Nokia, and Fraunhofer HHI signals Europe’s coordinated push to reclaim influence in global media and network standardization, especially as 6G development accelerates. The effort complements ongoing work by the Joint Video Exploration Team (JVET) and aligns with research trends emphasizing efficiency, scalability, and AI-driven video processing. Competitors such as Qualcomm and Huawei are also advancing 6G-ready media coding frameworks, underscoring the strategic importance of early standard-setting in immersive and machine-interpretable media.
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