New world record for wireless data is 9000 times faster than 5G
Breakthrough by UCL heralds new era of lightning fast 6G phone networks
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Researchers have set a new world record for wireless data transmission, achieving speeds of 938 gigabits per second – roughly 9,000 times faster than current 5G phone networks in the UK.
The breakthrough offers a glimpse at a new era of communications through next-generation 6G technology, which is expected to be deployed commercially within the next decade.
A team from University College London (UCL) achieved the breakthrough by combining both radio and optical technologies for the first time in order to overcome the bottleneck caused by frequency congestion.
“Current wireless communication systems are struggling to keep up with the increasing demand for high-speed data access, with capacity in the last few metres between the user and the fibre optic network holding us back,” said Dr Zhixin Liu from UCL’s Electronic & Electrical Engineering department.
“Our solution is to use more of the available frequencies to increase bandwidth, while maintaining high signal quality and providing flexibility in accessing different frequency resources. This results in super-fast and reliable wireless networks, overcoming the speed bottleneck between user terminals and the internet.”
UCL claims the new technology has the potential to revolutionise home WiFi speeds, while also massively improving mobile internet speeds through next-generation 6G networks.
At 938 gigabits per second, it would take just 0.12 seconds to download a two-hour 4k Ultra HD film – compared to the 19 minutes it currently takes over 5G.
The innovative approach could also allow more people to connect to networks in densely populated environments, such as concerts or sporting events, without experiencing any slowdown or drop outs.
“The beauty of wireless technology is its flexibility in terms of space and location,” said Professor Izzat Darwazeh, director of UCL Institute of Communications and Connected Systems (ICCS).
“It can be used in scenarios where optical cabling would be challenging, such as in a factory containing complex arrangements of equipment. This work brings wireless technology up to speed with the increased bandwidths and speeds that have been achieved with the radio frequency and optical communications systems within next-generation digital communications infrastructure.”
The research was published in the Journal of Lightwave Technology, in a study titled ‘938 Gb/s, 5–150 GHz ultra-wideband transmission over the air using combined electronic and photonic-assisted signal generation’.
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