By Michael Irving
September 14, 2022
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LG has demonstrated 6G data transmission over a record
distance (Photo credit: Depositphotos)
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While 5G and earlier technologies use frequencies below 100
GHz, 6G will expand beyond that into the currently unused terahertz (THz) spectrum.
This brings with it advantages like data rates that are up to 50 times faster
than 5G, and latency that’s just 10% that of 5G.
On the path to rolling out this technology, researchers at
LG and HHI have now set a new distance record for data transmission over 6G. At
frequencies between 155 and 175 GHz, the team transmitted data over 320 m
(1,050 ft) outdoors. That’s more than three times farther than the previous
record, which the team set a year ago.
That’s particularly impressive given that one of the main
disadvantages of 6G is a short range. To counter that, the team used amplifiers
at each end to boost the signal. The transmitter amplifier was boosted to an
output of 20 decibel-milliwatts (dBm), up from 15 dBm in the previous test. The
receiver also had a new amplifier that reduced noise, allowing for clearer
signal reception.
These advances allowed the researchers to push the
transmission distance to the new record of 320 m. Importantly this means it
passes a technical milestone – 6G base stations in urban areas would be placed
around 250 m (820 ft) apart, so surpassing that is a key step towards deploying
these in the real world.
“With the success of our latest demonstration, we are one
step closer to realizing 6G speeds of 1 terabit (TB) per second in both indoor
and outdoor urban areas,” said Dr. Kim Byoung-hoon, CTO and executive vice
president of LG Electronics.
Don’t worry if you’ve only just bought a 5G phone, though –
6G isn’t expected to roll out commercially until 2029. There’s still plenty
more technical work to be done before then.
Source: LG