Scientists have developed a new programmable antenna that is said to be the world’s first 6G antenna, and it’s reported that the data speeds that the new antenna will be able to achieve will be revolutionary, and may even make holograms a viable means of communication in real life.
It sounds crazy and, honestly, something straight out of a Star Wars movie. But Dynamic Metasurface Antennas (DMAs) are fast enough to actually make it possible. The devices are controlled by digitally coded mini-processors that essentially act as high-speed Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs).
This ultimately means that the processor will be able to transmit 6G signals in the 60GHz millimeter wave band, a band currently reserved for industrial, medical and scientific applications. The scientists who developed the world’s first 6G antenna shared their findings in a study published in 2010. IEEE Antennas and Propagation Open Journal.
Considering that 5G is currently the most advanced communication standard in mobile communications, and scientists say that 6G could be thousands of times faster, it is impressive to think of what 6G will be capable of. It is yet to be determined whether 6G will actually allow us to communicate via holograms.
We know that some scientists have already found new ways to create holograms, but these vision systems are often laborious and expensive. Even if 6G isn’t possible, being able to browse the web, download files, and transfer data much faster than 5G would be a boon for many who rely on 5G as their primary internet connection.
6G is expected to reach the final stage of specifications in 2028, with commercial services not expected to begin until the early 2030s. We’re still a long way from the next generation of mobile communications, but the world’s first 6G antenna is a great starting point for what 6G will be capable of.
