Latest 6G Wireless Technology 500 Times Faster Than 5G Cell Phones
Morrissey Technology – Fifth generation or 5G connectivity for cellular technology has only been the network standard for about five years. But with 6G Wireless Technology already here, developers are looking for ways to take full advantage of the next generation’s enormous bandwidth. Judging from Science Alert, Friday (3/5/2024) a technology demo carried out in Japan showed a wireless device prototype reaching a data transfer speed of 100 Gbps, which is 10 times faster than 5G at its peak, and 500 times faster than the average smartphone 5G.
The result of extensive research and development carried out by Japanese telecommunications company NTT, Japanese mobile phone operator DOCOMO, and electronics companies NEC and Fujitsu, the device uses high-frequency bands in the 100 GHz and 300 GHz range, allowing it to pack significantly more data than previous generation standards.
This is still a work in progress given the current trade-off in terms of range, but experiments show a stable connection at distances over 100 meters. Advances in communications technology will in fact require different forms of transmitters and receivers as 6G networks are built, relying largely on innovations like these. Speaking of hardware, it’s worth noting that this demo requires a lot of high-end equipment. However, as technology develops, the size and cost of such equipment will gradually decrease.
It’s also important to remember that a top speed of 10 Gbps for 5G is the technical limit, under perfect conditions, using the most powerful and well-optimized hardware. According to Opensignal, average 5G speeds for smartphones on T-Mobile in the US, the best carrier in the country for 5G speeds, currently stands at 186.3 Mbps. In other words, 6G promises much better speed improvements. That would be useful in everything from high-resolution movie downloads to communications between autonomous vehicles.
As with 5G, there will be leaps forward in terms of bandwidth, or network capacity, as more devices can stay connected at the same time. If you’ve ever lost phone signal while watching a concert or sporting event, you’re no doubt familiar with network congestion. Well, things like that won’t happen with 6G. In certain situations, we may see 6G make WiFi redundant FOR4D, something that is already starting to happen with 5G. There may be no need to run physical cables to the front door of your home or office.
Looking at it more broadly, think of more devices coming online at higher speeds, equipped with more components and sensors that can communicate with the web (and each other). Nokia estimates 6G may be commercially available in 2030. Meanwhile, we currently have to deal with ‘new’ 5G networks that already seem slow compared to what the future holds.