LG Electronics has successfully tested the wireless transmission and reception of 6G terahertz (THz) data – at a frequency range of 155 to 175 GHz – over a distance of 320 metres outdoors.
The milestone, achieved on September 7 at the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute (HHI) in Berlin, Germany, represents a significant step toward commercializing 6G THz in both indoor and outdoor urban areas since the reference cell coverage of base stations for urban macro cells is a distance of approximately 250 metres outdoors. It is also a major jump from August last year, when LG proved it could transfer 6G THz data over a distance of 100 metres outdoors.
6G, which uses ultra-wideband frequencies, has a relatively short range and can experience power loss from transmission to reception. To solve these problems, LG, Fraunhofer HHI, and Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics (IAF) have co-developed a power amplifier capable of increasing transmission strength, and a receiver low-noise amplifier that improves incoming signal quality.
Used in the recent demonstration, the organisations’ multi-channel power amplifier has an output of more than 20dBm, an increase of over 5dBm from the system LG and Fraunhofer HHI & IAF deployed in the previous trial. Also used was a receiver low-noise amplifier that minimises noise generation for reception signal. These new technologies have been integrated into LG’s latest module design, which has been highly capable of future IC (Integrated Circuit) fabrication to help ease the path towards future commercialisation.
“With the success of our latest demonstration, we are one step closer to realizing 6G speeds of 1 terabit (TB) per second in both indoor and outdoor urban areas,” said Dr. Kim Byoung-hoon, CTO and executive vice president of LG Electronics. “LG will continue to cooperate with research institutes and industry innovators to further solidify its leadership in 6G technology. We expect 6G to be a major driver of future business and new user experiences, and there is no place we’d rather be than at the forefront of its development.”