As 5G networks become more widespread, scientists are already preparing the next generation of the communication technology. Researchers at LG and Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft have now demonstrated 6G transmission across a new distance record.
When 6G is eventually rolled out around the world, the main advantages over 5G are faster data transfer rates and lower latencies. At its peak, 6G data rates are expected to be up to 50 times faster than 5G, while latency should drop to about 10 percent of 5G's. These boosts will be helped along by a wider bandwidth of frequencies in use, as 6G expands beyond 100 GHz into the currently unused terahertz (THz) spectrum.
Engineers at LG and Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft have now successfully beamed 6G signals between two buildings over 100 m (328 ft), marking a distance record. That’s a fair jump over the previous record of 15 m (49 ft), set by Samsung just a few months ago.
One of the major hurdles for 6G is that it has a short range, so to overcome that the team were testing a few systems to boost that signal. They used a power amplifier that was able to transmit a stable signal with frequencies between 155 and 175 GHz, at a power level of 15 dBm. Adaptive beamforming tech helps aim the signal towards the receiver, while high gain antenna switching combines the output of several amplifiers and sends them towards specific antennas.
“The success of this test demonstrates that we are ever closer to the successful application of terahertz radio communication spectrum in the upcoming 6G era,” says Dr. I.P. Park, president and CTO of LG Electronics.
Don’t throw away your 5G phones just yet, though – 6G isn’t expected to be commercialized until about 2029. There are still plenty more of these kinds of tests to run in the meantime.
Source: LG