Fifth generation connectivity or "5G" for mobile technology has been the network standard for the last five years. But with 6G technology already on the horizon, the developers are looking for ways to take full advantage of the extended bandwidth of the next generation.
See also: Apple may already be working on 6G technology for iPhones
A demonstration of the 6G technology held at the Japan showed a prototype wireless device that reaches the 100 Gbps in data transfer speeds, which is 10 times faster than 5G at its peak and 500 times faster from a medium smartphone 5G.
A two-hour, medium quality film Netflix transmitted on a telephone has a size of about 1.5 GB, so in practice, there will be the possibility of carrying eight or nine of these films every second.
As a result of extensive research and development by the Japanese telecommunications company NTT, the Japanese mobile phone company DOCOMO and electronics companies NEC and Fujitsu, η Device uses high frequency bands in the range of 100 GHz and 300 GHz, allowing it to pack significantly more data than the previous generation standards.
It's a work in progress with a current trade-off in terms of range, but the experiment showed a solid connection in over 100 metres. Advances in communications technology will in fact require different forms of transmitters and receivers when 6G technology is ready.
Speaking of material, it's worth noting that this demo required a lot of state-of-the-art equipment. But as technology develops, the size and cost of this equipment will gradually decrease.
See also: China: One step closer to 6G network and satellite Internet
It is also important to remember that the top speed of the 10 Gbps for 5G is a technical ceiling, under perfect conditions, using the strongest and best optimized material. According to the Opensignal, the average 5G speed for smartphones on T-Mobile in the US - the country's best mobile provider for 5G speeds - currently stands at 186.3 Mbps.
In other words, 6G technology promises much improved speeds. This will be useful in anything, from high-resolution film downloads to communications between autonomous vehicles, according to the researchers.
As with 5G, there will also be a leap forward in terms of bandwidth or network capacity: more Devices will be able to stay connected at the same time. If you've ever lost phone signal at a concert or sports game, you'll be familiar with network congestion and that's something that 6G should eliminate.
In some cases, we may see 6G technology doing the Wi-Fi largely unnecessary, which is already starting to happen with 5G. You may not need to run a physical cable to the front door of your home or office.
See also: The impact of 5G technology on health
For the time being, however, we will have to come to terms with 5G networks that already seem almost sluggish compared to those that will follow!
Source: sciencealert
