LG demonstrates 6G THz data transmission in Germany

LG Electronics (LG) has successfully tested the wireless transmission and reception of 6G terahertz (THz) — at a frequency range of 155 to 175 GHz — over a distance of 320 metres outdoors. The milestone, achieved on 7 September 2022 at the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute (HHI) in Berlin, Germany, represents a step forward in commercialising 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 leap from August 2021, when LG demonstrated that it could transfer 6G THz data over a distance of 100 metres across.

6G, which leverages 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 20 dBm, an increase of over 5 dBm from the solution LG and Fraunhofer HHI and IAF deployed in the previous trial. Also utilised 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 capable of future IC (Integrated Circuit) fabrication to help ease the path towards future commercialisation.

Dr Kim Byoung-hoon, CTO and Executive Vice President of LG Electronics, said that with the success of its last demonstration, LG is a step closer to realising 6G speeds of one terabit per second in both indoor and outdoor urban areas. “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,” Byoung-hoon said.

LG will announce the full results of its latest 6G communications test and present an overview of the technology’s development so far at the upcoming 6G Grand Summit, taking place in Seoul on 23 September. Discussions on 6G network standardisation are expected to begin around 2025, with commercialisation of the technology slated for 2029. Compared to 5G wireless networks, 6G will deliver better data transfer speeds with lower latency and higher reliability.

To continue its leadership in 6G, LG is cooperating with research institutes, universities and businesses from all over the world. The company also aims to establish ‘R&D cooperation belts’ for 6G core technologies, working hand-in-hand with organisations, including Fraunhofer HHI and IAF, KAIST, KRISS and Keysight Technologies, Inc., to facilitate the arrival of the next generation of wireless network communications. In June 2021, LG was also selected by the Next G Alliance, an initiative of the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS), to lead an applications working group to discuss 6G technologies and guide the future direction of 6G telecommunication services.

Image credit: iStock.com/Techa Tungateja