5G has been deployed in Spain for two years. There are more and more mobile phones and devices that integrate it, and the networks compatible with this connectivity, even with the 5G NSA, are already the majority in Spain. However, the industry is already working on the evolution of this connectivity: 6G, which reaches spectacular speeds.
This is how Samsung has shown it today, which has unveiled its first 6G connectivity prototype using terahertz (THz) frequencies . Using this spectrum, it is possible to achieve higher speeds and lower latencies.
Specifically, the first tests reveal that the speeds will be up to 50 times higher than, with 5G, reaching figures of more than 1 Tbps. In latency, this will be a tenth that, with 5G, which already reaches figures very close to that of fiber. With this, it is possible to guarantee the emission of content in 8K in real time with little compression, and virtual reality much faster than before.
6.2 Gbps 6G speeds: 1 Gbps more than 5G
The current 5G operates at frequencies of several tens of GHz, such as the 26 GHz band that we will use soon in Spain, and which will be the one that offers the highest speed and lowest latency, although with a much more limited range. With 6G networks, we would be operating at frequencies of more than 100 GHz which will allow us to use larger bandwidths by having larger channels. Currently, the largest channels with 5G are 400 MHz.
In the test that Samsung has carried out together with the University of California, they have used a system that operates at frequencies of 140 GHz and with a bandwidth of 2,000 MHz. With this, they managed to transmit data at 6.2 Gbps at a distance of 15 meters. The 5G record so far was 5.23 Gbps , adding frequencies from both 4G and 5G in an experimental test in a closed environment.
The 6G will not arrive at least until the year 2030
The figure, although spectacular, is far from the theoretical maximum of 1 Tbps, but it is to be expected that in the future they will be able to exceed it. The system they have used consists of a 16 channel in-phase matrix transmitter, receiver modules, and a baseband unit that processes the signals and sends them directly to the receiver.
The 6G tests will be developed for at least the next decade, since the standard is not expected to be approved until at least 2030. Therefore, we can enjoy 5G and all the advantages it offers; especially with unlimited data rates, which allow us to enjoy figures of hundreds of Mbps away from home.
