We haven’t even fully rolled out 5G yet, not to mention there is a portion of Australians who are against it, and Tokyo-based company NTT Corporation have already successfully developed a new phased-array transmitter module for 6G wireless communication.
This is groundbreaking for the company as they have succeeded in achieving the world’s first beamforming wireless data transmission in the 300 GHz band, enabling instantaneous ultra-high capacity data transmission to mobile receivers.
Details were unveiled at the 2023 IEEE MTT-S International Microwave Symposium (IMS2023) held in San Diego, California, USA.
What are the challenges?
6G utilises the 300 GHz band and holds promise for achieving ultra-high-speed wireless connectivity.
The 300 GHz band offers a wide frequency range available which is a huge advantage for 6G technology. That said, there’s a major challenge in the form of substantial path loss during signal multiplication through space. To address this issue, researchers are actively exploring beamforming technology.
Beamforming technology focuses and directs radio energy towards the intended receiving device. In the context of 5G wireless systems, that utilise radio waves in the 28 GHz and 39 GHz bands, beamforming has been successfully implemented using CMOS integrated circuits. Nevertheless, when it comes to the 300 GHz band, CMOS-IC alone lacks the required output power.
To overcome this limitation, research is underway to combine CMOS-IC with III-V compound IC, which possesses high-output power capabilities.
What to expect in the future?
6G networks are expected to deploy on short-distance mobile communication devices. This technology shows promise in expanding the applications of these devices.
The technology so far demonstrates one-dimensional beamforming. Currently, NTT and Tokyo Tech are focused on showcasing two-dimensional beamforming and increasing the communication distance by adding more arrays.
What’s a phased-array transmitter?
A phased array, in antenna theory, is an array of antennas in which all the phases of each signal that feeds each antenna are set in such a way that the effective radiation pattern of the entire array is set toward the desired direction and that the signals emanating toward undesired directions are suppressed. It is a way to direct waves of radiation toward a desired direction.
Advantages of phased-array:
- Highly movable and agile beam under computer control.
- Multifunction operation through the emission of several beams simultaneously.
- Remains operational even with errors and faults in a few areas.
We look forward to hearing more about how NTT and Tokyo Tech progress with their 6G network research and how it could impact our day-to-day lives in the near future.
