Four Japanese telecommunications companies have jointly developed what is considered to be the first prototype of a 6G wireless device. As reported by the magazine Avinteractive, DOCOMO, NTT, NEC, and Fujitsu have collectively developed a top-level wireless device capable of transmitting at 100 Gb/s in the 100 GHz to 300 GHz bands at distances of up to 100 meters.
This 6G device is the world’s first to achieve data transmission speeds capable of streaming five HD movies every second. The transmission speed is approximately 20 times higher than the maximum data transmission speed of 4.9 Gb/s in current 5G networks, as claimed by companies.
These companies formed a consortium in 2021 to work on sub-terahertz devices. The new era of 6G networks will support a wide range of applications from streaming ultra HD video to real-time control in autonomous vehicles. The new 6G network will utilize the rich bandwidth available in the sub-terahertz range from 100 GHz to 300 GHz. New wireless devices, distinct from current 5G systems, will be required for the operation of 6G networks, with new devices needing to be developed from scratch.
Operations are set to begin only in 2029.
The development of such advanced 6G technologies has significant implications, as the transmission capacity equals streaming five HD movies wirelessly every second. Although the achieved speeds are quite impressive, the 6G network has been tested only in a single device and is not yet commercially viable.
The use of higher frequencies also has its drawbacks, as for example, actual network speeds in 5G networks are typically much lower than the theoretical maximum and this likely holds true for 6G networks as well. Just last year, LG successfully conducted data transmission over a distance of more than 500 meters within a 6G network.
This represents the most successful data transmission test in the frequency band that will be typical for 6G networks. LG stated that serious discussions about the standardization of 6G networks should begin around 2025, with commercialization expected in 2029.
