Throughout my career, one phrase that’s always stuck in my mind is ‘‘test a lot and learn quickly’’.

Having received £16m funding from the EPSRC Future Communications Platforms and other Future Networks R&D initiatives such as DSIT and Innovate UK, the University of Bristol have led the design of a heterogeneous, multi-site architecture platform that can pull huge amounts of complex data to test deployment in real-world environments.

Join the Federated Telecoms Hubs for a high impact expo that places you at the centre of the UK’s advanced connectivity research ecosystem. Designed for industry leaders and investors, this event showcases groundbreaking research and innovations.

We’re delighted to share that JOINER has won the “AI Award for High Tech & Telecom” at the 2025 AI Awards, recognising our leadership in driving AI innovation across the UK’s telecoms ecosystem.

JOINER doesn’t have any of its own “white-box” satellites for research experiments (not yet, at least). So instead, we’ve developed a facility to provide as close to the real thing as you can get without launching into space. And JOINER’s Non-Terrestrial Networks (NTN) Emulation Facility is about as close to space as you can get without rocket fuel.

Spectrum is the lifeblood of wireless communications. And as network demands have rapidly increased over the past two decades, our sector has been compelled to pursue more creative ways to maximise the potential of what is, ultimately, a finite resource. However, thinking of spectrum as a resource that we might one day ‘run out’ of is, I believe, misleading. 

The connection of a new node in Dublin has marked a significant milestone for the JOINER project. Hosted by researchers at Trinity College Dublin, the Irish outpost represents the first international expansion of the JOINER platform — opening up new potential for innovation, as CONNECT Centre Director, Professor Dan Kilper explains.

Professor Dimitra Simeonidou

As summer comes to a close and we look ahead to Q4, it’s a good moment to take a breath and reflect on what has already been a landmark year for JOINER.

One of JOINER’s greatest benefits — that it’s open to all — presents a unique challenge when it comes to providing and managing user access.