A new pilot test carried out in Germany will put more pressure on the authorization required by the World Radiocommunication Conference to authorize the use of the 6 GHz frequency spectrum to achieve speeds of up to 12 Gbps.
12 times faster than 5G
Deutsche Telekom has set a new world record in mobile networks, achieving a data transmission speed of 12 Gbps. With this data speed and bandwidth we can consider that we would be talking about 12 times the performance of the current 5G network.
The key to achieving these high data rates has been the additional use of the 6 gigahertz (6 GHz) frequency spectrum, which is not yet available for mobile communications and will be in the World Radiocommunication Conference In November, its use from 2025 will be discussed.
«The 6 GHz spectrum has the characteristic of satisfying the growing demand of our customers for more capacity and more speed. That is why we hope that the World Radiocommunication Conference will set the course for the use of mobile radio.”underlines Abdu Mudesir, chief technology officer at Telekom Deutschland.
Speed increase using 6 GHz antennas
The field test to find out what the change could be in mobile networks of installing 6 GHz antennas has been carried out in the town of Alzey, Rheinhessen. In addition to the installation of the 6 GHz, as can be seen in the video in which these tests have been shared, an antenna was mounted that is already currently used for the 5G mobile communications standard and transmits through the frequency of 3.6 GHz.
During measurements at a distance of about 100 meters, about 12 gigabits per second were measured with slight fluctuations, with the highest peak of 12.3 gigabits per second, a world record and an important contribution to radio experts around the world. To achieve this unprecedented speed in mobile communications, the two 5G data flows were grouped, from the 6 GHz spectrum and from the 3.6 GHz spectrum. Only with the measurement at 6 GHz, the speed achieved was already 11 gigabits per second. With the 3.6 GHz spectrum, about 1 gigabit per second more.
This fusion of frequency bands to obtain more bandwidth is called in technical circles “channel grouping” or “channelcarrier aggregation«. This principle has been used for years for LTE and 5G. Phones include different frequency bands to get more bandwidth and allow higher data speeds. As part of the usual network modernizations, the 6 GHz band could also come into operation in 5G mobile stations. Future smartphone models will be able to use this band.
The 6 GHz frequency spectrum is characterized by its ability to transport large amounts of data quickly. However, these rather short wave frequencies only reach a mere few 100 metres. They are especially suitable for use in inner-city areas, because there is already a dense antenna network there and, at the same time, many customers need a fast network. Tests at Alzey have been carried out with 400 MHz in the range of 6.425-7.125 MHz.