Forward-looking: 5G wireless networks are still in their infancy but that isn’t stopping leading mobile experts from exploring what comes next. LG has demonstrated the wireless transmission and reception of 6G terahertz (THz) data over a distance of 320 meters outdoors. The feat took place at the Fraunhofer HHI in Berlin, Germany, on September 7 at a frequency range of 155 to 175 GHz.

The demonstration represents a significant jump over LG’s last public test in August 2021 when it proved it could transfer 6G THz data outdoors over a distance of 100 meters.

To circumvent the relatively short range of 6G, LG, Fraunhofer HHI, and Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics (IAF) co-developed a power amplifier that increases transmission strength and a low-noise receiver to improve the incoming signal quality.

The multi-channel power amplifier LG used in the most recent test had an output of more than 20dBm, much higher than the ~5dBm amp used in the previous demo.

Dr. Kim Byoung-hoon, CTO and executive VP at LG Electronics, said the demonstration brings them one step closer to realizing 6G speeds of 1 terabit per second in both indoor and outdoor urban areas.

Notably, LG did not share what speed it reached in testing. Instead, the company will reveal the full results of its test and present an overview of the tech at its upcoming 6G Grand Summit, set to take place at the LG Science Park in Seoul on September 23.

6G is still many years away. In its press release, LG said discussions regarding a network standard are not expected to begin until around 2025. Commercialization of the tech is slated for 2029. Whenever it arrives, it promises to deliver far faster data transfer speeds with improved latency and higher reliability. Then again, we have been fed that line before so it’ll probably be best to curb your enthusiasm until it gets here and we see what it can do in the real world.

Image credit: cottonbro