NTT DOCOMO, NTT, NEC and Fujitsu have jointly announced the development of a top-level wireless device capable of ultra-high-speed 100 Gbps transmissions in the 100 GHz and 300 GHz sub-terahertz bands.
The four companies have been jointly conducting R&D on sub-terahertz devices since 2021 in anticipation of the coming 6G era. To date, tests of a jointly developed wireless device have achieved ultra-high-speed 100 Gbps transmissions in the 100 GHz and 300 GHz bands at distances of up to 100 meters. By comparison, 100 Gbps is approximately 20 times faster than the maximum 4.9 Gbps data rate of current 5G networks.
After analyzing the wireless system configuration and performance required for 100 GHz telecommunications applications, DOCOMO developed wireless transmission equipment capable of transmitting data rates equivalent to 100 Gbps at a distance of 100 meters.
Based on research into 300 GHz wireless devices and related equipment such as wideband mixers, NTT developed a top-level wireless device capable of transmitting 100 Gbps per channel at a distance of 100 meters in the 300 GHz band.
After analyzing a wireless system configuration for telecommunications in the 100 GHz band, NEC developed a multi-element active phased array antenna (APAA) consisting of more than 100 antenna elements.
After researching compound semiconductor technologies that enable high-output, high-efficiency signal amplification to extend communication range and reduce power consumption in the 100 GHz and 300 GHz bands, Fujitsu achieved the world's highest power efficiency in a high-output amplifier.
Moving forward, the four companies will continue to conduct extensive R&D into sub-terahertz telecommunications, leveraging each company's strengths in various initiatives to contribute to 6G standardization.
