New record set for wireless data transmission

A new world record in wireless data transmission, promising faster wireless communication, has been set by researchers at University College London (UCL).

As detailed in the Journal of Lightwave Technology, the researchers successfully sent data over the air at a speed of 938 Gbps over a record frequency range of 5–150 GHz. This speed is up to 9380 times faster than the best average 5G download speed in the UK, which is currently 100 Mbps or over. The total bandwidth of 145 GHz is more than five times higher than the previous wireless transmission world record.

Optical fibre, which forms the backbone of modern communications networks, transmits data over long distances, between continents and from data centres to people’s homes. But while optical fibre has made big advances in bandwidth and speed in recent years, these gains are limited without similar advances in the wireless technology that transmits information the final few metres to the devices in our homes, workplaces and public spaces around the world.

Typically, wireless networks transmit information using radio waves over a narrow range of frequencies. Current wireless transmission methods, such as Wi-Fi and 5G mobile, predominantly operate at low frequencies below 6 GHz — but congestion in this frequency range has limited the speed of wireless communications. Researchers from UCL Electronic and Electrical Engineering overcame this bottleneck by transmitting information through a much wider range of radio frequencies by combining both radio and optical technologies for the first time.

“Current wireless communication systems are struggling to keep up with the increasing demand for high-speed data access, with capacity in the last few metres between the user and the fibre-optic network holding us back,” said Dr Zhixin Liu, senior author of the study.

“Our solution is to use more of the available frequencies to increase bandwidth, while maintaining high signal quality and providing flexibility in accessing different frequency resources. This results in superfast and reliable wireless networks, overcoming the speed bottleneck between user terminals and the internet.”

The researchers’ approach combined advanced electronics, which performs well in the 5–50 GHz range, and a technology called photonics that uses light to generate radio information, which performs well in the 50–150 GHz range. They generated high-quality signals by combining electronic digital-to-analog signal generators with light-based radio signal generators, allowing data to be transmitted across a wide range of frequencies from 5–150 GHz.

“This new system allows for the transmission of large amounts of data at unprecedented speeds, which will be crucial for the future of wireless communications,” Liu said.

The new technology has the potential to revolutionise various sectors, with study author Professor Izzat Darwazeh noting that the beauty of wireless technology is its flexibility in terms of space and location.

“It can be used in scenarios where optical cabling would be challenging, such as in a factory containing complex arrangements of equipment,” said Darwazeh, who is Director of UCL Institute of Communications and Connected Systems.

Meanwhile, mobile phone users could expect faster mobile internet speeds and more stable connections with 5G and later 6G networks powered by this type of system. This would allow more people to use the network in densely populated urban environments or at large event like concerts without experiencing slowdown, or provide the same number of users with much faster speeds.

For example, a two-hour 4K Ultra HD film (around 14 GB of data) would take 19 minutes to download over 5G at 100 Mbps. Using the new technology, it could be downloaded in just 0.12 seconds.

“This work brings wireless technology up to speed with the increased bandwidths and speeds that have been achieved with the radio frequency and optical communications systems within next-generation digital communications infrastructure,” Darwazeh said.

While the technology has only currently been demonstrated in the laboratory, work is underway to produce a prototype system that can be used for commercial testing. If this is successful, the technology will be ready to incorporate into commercial equipment within 3–5 years.

Image credit: iStock.com/Narongrit Doungmanee