Industry experts predict that future 6G cellular networks will support data speeds of up to one terabit per second and will be faster and more dependable than current 5G technology.
The first real-time wireless transmission of 6G communication technology was carried out by a research team from the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation Second Institute, which represents a significant advancement in the creation of a potential 5G replacement.
According to a report published in the official Science and Technology Daily on Wednesday, the test made use of terahertz orbital angular momentum communication technology.
Industry experts predict that future 6G cellular networks, which are still years away, will support data speeds of up to one terabit per second and will be faster and more dependable than current 5G technology.
They also claim that it will offer lower latency and more efficient spectrum use. In order to improve wireless communication, such networks are likely to use cutting-edge technologies like terahertz waves.
This would allow for applications like high-definition virtual reality, real-time holographic communication, and other data-intensive tasks that are not currently possible.
In the experiment, scientists produced four distinct beam patterns at a frequency of 110 GHz using a special antenna. They significantly improved the efficiency of bandwidth usage by using those patterns to achieve real-time wireless transmission at a speed of 100 gigabits per second on a 10 GHz bandwidth.
The report stated that this technology could eventually be used for short-range broadband transmission fields, enabling high-speed communication between lunar and Mars landers as well as between spacecraft and within spacecraft.
The expansion of transmission bandwidth in response to higher speed demands has implications for improvements in a number of communication-related areas. Terahertz communication, a cutting-edge spectrum technology that is a cornerstone of 6G communication, is the first area.
In the electromagnetic spectrum, a frequency range between 100 GHz and 10 THz is referred to as terahertz.
Terahertz communication is able to transfer data more quickly and can carry more data due to its higher frequency. It has received a lot of attention due to its potential in secure communications, such as in challenging military environments, high-speed internet, and 6G communication.
Higher information density, though, frequently results in more noise. Over longer distances, terahertz communication suffers from increased signal attenuation and loss. Even though the team omitted technology specifics, the application expectations showed an effort to deal with the problem.
The second area for improvement is orbital angular momentum (OAM) transmission, in which a technology for encoding electromagnetic waves adds additional information.
OAM enables the simultaneous transmission of multiple signals on the same frequency without interfering with one another, allowing for a more effective use of the available spectrum and enhancing data transfer capacities and communication speeds.
The wireless backhaul technology that links base stations and core networks represents another significant advancement. Data must be transmitted between user devices, base stations, and core networks in mobile communication networks.
The act of sending user data obtained by a base station back to the main network is referred to as backhaul. The majority of conventional backhaul techniques rely on fibre optic lines. However, traditional fibre-based transmission methods in the 5G/6G communication era face higher costs, longer deployment times, and less flexibility as the number of base stations rises.
As a result, wireless backhaul technology has gained ground and taken over as the primary approach. Experts predict that by 2023, wireless backhaul technology will be used by more than 62% of all base stations worldwide.
The research team selected terahertz orbital angular momentum communication as its breakthrough objective. Since 2021, the team has concentrated on cutting-edge international communication technology.
In the terahertz frequency range, “they have already accomplished multiple signal transmissions and ultra-large capacity data transfers, more than doubling the spectrum usage efficiency,” the report stated.
Peak 6G communication rates are anticipated to hit one terabit per second in the future, necessitating further advancements in the effectiveness of the currently available spectrum resources to achieve greater wireless transmission capabilities.