Four Japanese companies DOCOMO, NTT, NEC, and Fujitsu have jointly created the first-ever 6G device prototype.
It’s said to be 500 times faster than a 5G device and can transfer data to a distance of 330 feet.
Since there’s no existing infrastructure that can support 6G technology, it’ll be a few years before it’s introduced to the public.
A group of Japanese companies, including DOCOMO, NTT, NEC, and Fujitsu, have propelled us to a whole new world of technology with the first-ever prototype for a 6G device. It was successfully tested on April 11.
6G offers a staggering data transmission speed of 100 gigabits per second (Gbps), which is at least 20 times more than a 5G processor—and its overall speed is 500 times faster than 5G devices.
To give you an idea of how fast this really is – you can download 5 HD movies per second at this rate. What’s more, it can transfer data at distances up to 330 feet (100 meters).
How Did This Brilliant New Invention Happen?
The project started back in 2021 when the four companies joined hands to research sub-terahertz devices, which paved the way for 6G.
Here’s what each company did:
NTT came up with an advanced 300 GHz band wireless device that can process 100 Gbps per channel over 100 meters.
DOCOMO came up with wireless transmission equipment that can process 100 Gbps across a 100-meter range.
NEC analyzed a wireless system configuration for telecommunications in the 100 GHz band and developed a multi-element active phased array antenna (APAA) containing 100+ antenna elements.
Fujitsu researched on semiconductor technology to reduce power consumption in the 100 GHz and 300 GHz bands. In the end, it managed to achieve the world’s highest power efficiency in a high-output amplifier.
What makes 6G so much faster is that it operates on the untapped 100 GHz and 300 GHz frequency bands whereas 5G operates on lower frequency bands of 6GHz to 40GHz. These bands are also known as “millimeter-wave bands.”
💡Also: China in 2023 launched a 3,000-kilometre backbone network running from Beijing to the south, claiming a “stable and reliable” speed of 1.2 terabytes per second. However, this cannot be used for home devices.
When Can We Expect 6G Devices in the Market?
While the above-mentioned 6G prototype is a huge step forward for the future of internet technology, it will be a while before it’s made available to the public.
Using higher frequency has its own issues. See for yourself:
Firstly, environmental factors like rain and walls become more prominent at this level, causing disruption in data flow, especially indoors. So the companies will need to find a fix for this problem.
Secondly, the existing 5G infrastructure is not built to handle 6G devices. New infrastructure will have to be built from scratch, so it’ll probably be a few years before we get to use a 6G device.
However, the wait should totally be worth it, as we’ll not only get to browse the internet at unbelievable speeds, but 6G will also pave the way for more advanced technology such as enhanced virtual reality and artificial intelligence.
Our Editorial Process
The Tech Report editorial policy is centered on providing helpful, accurate content that offers real value to our readers. We only work with experienced writers who have specific knowledge in the topics they cover, including latest developments in technology, online privacy, cryptocurrencies, software, and more. Our editorial policy ensures that each topic is researched and curated by our in-house editors. We maintain rigorous journalistic standards, and every article is 100% written by real authors.
Source : TechReport