LG has announced the successful wireless transmission and reception of 6G terahertz (THz) data over 500 metres, the longest distance recorded in any 6G test conducted in an outdoor, urban area to date.
Run jointly with LG U+, the test took place at the beginning of this month at LG Sciencepark in Magok, Seoul.
This latest achievement follows the company’s successful 2022 test, when it sent and received 6G THz data wirelessly over a distance of 320 metres outdoors at the Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz Institute in Berlin, Germany. LG and Fraunhofer cooperated to develop core equipment for 6G transmission and reception, including a multi-channel power amplifier and a receiver low-noise amplifier, which helped optimise performance and improve output by more than 50%.
The recent test at LG Sciencepark is significant not only because LG increased the wireless transmission and reception distance to 500 metres – the standard distance for high-powered base stations in urban areas – but also because it verified the usability of 6G in various ‘real world’ communication scenarios, including building-to-building, building-to-ground terminal and ground-to-ground terminals.
The evolution of 5G, 6G telecommunications will enable significantly increased data rate as well as ultra-low latency, high-reliability data transmission, and the combination of communications and AI, and communications and sensing.
Discussions on 6G network standardisation are expected to begin around 2025, with commercialisation slated for 2029. LG’s investment in R&D, strategic partnerships and successful technology demonstrations point to the company’s readiness and determination to lead the global transition to 6G.