6G technology. Is it the end of civilization? Is it going to kill us?

Undoubtedly, 5G networks are gaining more and more popularity around the world and probably everyone has noticed that this is not the end of further development of mobile technologies. And how could it be otherwise! Engineers from many telecommunications companies have been working hard on the next generation 6G communication technology. Of course, the expectations of the new technology are very high. The transition to the new 6G technology is expected to increase data speeds up to 50 times faster than the current 5G standard predicts. Latency is also expected to be much lower than 5G technology, making conversations sound more natural. The new 6G standard is also expected to improve the accuracy of transmitted data. All these improvements are expected to spark a wave of new IoT development, with new devices, both for our homes and also for the workplace.

There is no doubt that scientists have long realized that the next step in the evolution of data transmission technology will be much more difficult than the current performance even in the 5G network. Well, there are many big limitations associated with 6G technology. First of all, 6G technology has a very short range due to the loss of power during data transmission.

Distance record in 6G technology

It has happened! Just a few months ago, the Samsung team set a new distance record in the transmission of 6G signals, which was 15 meters. And on August 19, 2021, in Seoul, the Korean technology giant LG Electronics (LG), successfully demonstrated wireless transmission and reception of 6G data in terahertz (THz) over a distance of more than 100 meters, in outdoor conditions at that! This enormous technological advance in 6G transmission was achieved in cooperation with the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the largest applied research laboratory in Europe. Exactly on August 13, data was transmitted between two buildings: Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute (HHI) and the Institute of Technology in Berlin, Germany.

As you already know, 6G THz technology, has a very short range and experiences power loss during data transmission. Therefore, the biggest challenge in the evolution of 6G networks, was to design (and make) a suitable power amplifier, in order to generate a stable signal at ultra-wideband frequencies. And just such a power amplifier , developed by LG, Fraunhofer HHI and Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics (IAF), was critical to the success of the 6G test.

The power amplifier designed by the researchers can generate 15dBm in the frequency range from 155 all the way up to 175GHz! In addition, the LG company has also demonstrated Adaptive beamforming technology that changes the direction of the signal according to changes in the channel and the position of the receiver.
Global standardization is targeted for 2025, and theoretically within four years, 6G networks will be able to support very fast wireless transmission and communication speeds with very low latency and reliability. Looking ahead. 6G is a key component of the emerging Ambient Internet of Everything technology that aims to improve our living and business environment. All of this will be possible when we make our living environment more responsive, adaptive, autonomous and personalized to consumer needs. In short, by recognizing the human presence and preferences of a specific user (this is already happening in 5G networks).

It's worth mentioning that LG is also a leader in securing core 6G technologies. In 2019, the LG-KAIST 6G Research Center was established in collaboration with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, which is a leading research university in the country. And in early 2021. LG and KAIST have partnered with Keysight Technologies Inc. a global manufacturer of test and measurement equipment. All this in order to cooperate on the project of 6G technology development.
It is also noteworthy that LG Electronics has been selected to chair the Applications Working Group of the Next G Alliance, an initiative of the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS), which aims to consolidate its leadership in mobile 6G technologies by expanding its field to North America.
"The success of this test demonstrates that we are getting closer to the successful application of terahertz radio communications spectrum in the coming 6G era," - said Dr. IP Park, president and CTO of LG Electronics. "Our successful partnerships with local and global research institutions and organizations to accelerate the development of 6G capabilities have been very rewarding."

As a brief summary. Technological progress is inevitable. Notwithstanding the objections of opponents of 5G and now arguably 6G technology. The world's progress is so fast that regardless of any objections, sooner or later we will live in the Ambient Internet of Everything world. But is it really something bad? It is worth remembering that in the era of Covid-19, more and more devices related to our work and daily life are connected to the Internet and many times we see no other alternative to our living environment. I firmly believe that the 6G network will also contribute to improving our safety and comfort of life. But after all, this are just my subjective thoughts. Therefore, I leave the opinion on the new 6G technology to you, Dear Readers and Internet users. I also invite you to share your thoughts on this issue on our Facebook profile and the Internet forum.

Author:
Leszek Blaszczyk