Nokia teams with NTT on 6G trials

NTT claimed it is aiming for commercialisation of 6G technology by 2030 and has begun research into the use of higher frequencies than those currently used for mobile services, with these trials set to target frequencies of between 100 GHz and 300 GHz. As frequencies reach higher levels propagation becomes weaker, meaning that they are not only shorter ranged but become more easily blocked by obstacles.

In the first of the trials being run, NTT’s spinoff company NTT Docomo has teamed with fellow Japanese telecoms group Fujitsu to test device connections using more dense small cell deployments and beamforming. The joint trials are set to explore multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) deployments where multiple sub-terahertz wave antennas are dispersed to simultaneously emit radio waves from multiple directions to a receiving terminal.

Fujitsu claimed this trial will enable operators to provide reliable connectivity in these frequency bands and overcome issues created by environmental obstacles. The company also said it was seeking to develop high-frequency wireless devices with compound semiconductors.