Communication systems
Communication systems form the foundation of many public services and critical infrastructures. Given our dependence on this technology, it is crucial that it performs safely and reliably.
We seek ways to take advantage of the opportunities and reduce the risks associated with modern communication systems. Our goal is to make digital infrastructure more robust, resilient, and secure, and to develop advanced applications for now and the future. We also study interactions between these systems and society to help inform government policy.
“We live in a digital society with almost every service – from buying a coffee to checking train schedules, or even filing your taxes – is connected by the internet. This makes these things much more efficient, but also much more vulnerable.”
Sven-Arne Reinemo, Research Director
Departments
Focus areas
Our research focuses on three core areas with the goal of improving and developing secure, robust and reliable communication systems.
5G and 6G networks
The faster speeds and increased bandwidth of 5G technology enable new applications, such as the Internet of Things (IoT). But along with the benefits of 5G, we also face new challenges around security, robustness, resilience and interoperability. At the SimulaMet Interoperability Lab (SMIL), established by the Center for Resilient Networks and Applications (CRNA) we do hands-on research in this area, as well as developing the technical groundwork for the 6G network.
Improving the resilience and robustness of mobile networks is part of the work conducted by researchers at CRNA.
Network architecture
Network architecture research at Simula covers everything from Internet architecture to mobile wireless networks to interconnection networks for high-performance computing. We develop network algorithms that provide performance, resilience and security across different types of network architectures. We also study the novel solutions provided by software-defined networking, in network computing, network telemetry and automated control and management.
Cybersecurity
Society’s critical infrastructure is increasingly dependent on communication systems, which, owing to advances in technology, are undergoing rapid changes: network functions are increasingly performed by software instead of hardware; cyberspace is increasingly distributed; and new 5G networks rely on trust between multiple parties. We also need to ensure security for less secure legacy systems.
The evolution of communication systems presents new security challenges. We work to improve cybersecurity for both mobile networks and fibre technology, with a focus on:
- cyber-attack detection and security monitoring
- risk assessment and threat modeling
- challenges for national critical infrastructure
- testing 5G security
- security of sensor networks
Understanding interactions between communication systems and geopolitics
Cyberspace is increasingly distributed, and this trend is only going to increase as network functions move from hardware to software. There are important considerations to balance efficiency, privacy and national sovereignty in this context. Through our multidisciplinary research, computer scientists, social and political scientists, regulatory bodies and network operators, will be used to help policy makers assess risks associated with service out-hosting.
Contract research opportunities in Communication Systems
Universities, research labs and industry are welcome to enquire about contract research in the area of Communication systems. Contact us to explore collaboration in cross-disciplinary research projects that address topics in cellular networks, IoT, satellite communications, edge computing, and internet architecture with an emphasis on resilience, robustness, and cyber security.
Selected collaborative project
- We are contributing expertise in threat modelling to a collaborative project that is developing a cyber range platform that will provide tools for risk and threat assessment, cyber-attack simulation, evaluation and demonstration of defensive solutions for next generation networks. This project is being coordinated by SINTEF Digital, and other partners include University of Oslo, University of South-Eastern Norway, TU Berlin, National Security Authority, Telenor AS and Norwegian Communications Authority.
We collaborate with government and industry partners to make everyone's digital lives safer. We apply cutting-edge expertise to problems that matter - in ways that are creative, impactful, and fun.
Sven-Arne Reinemo, Research Director
Additionally, we contribute our skills in modelling, simulations, and most importantly, our experience with building experimental systems, to communications systems projects conducted together with other research institutes, businesses, and government agencies.