European telco body looks into terahertz for future 6G comms The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) has unveiled a new Industry Specification Group (ISG) to undertake preliminary work on the potential use of terahertz frequencies in 6G communications. According to ETSI, the newly launched ISG THz already comprises 31 participating companies and recently held its …
Terahertz makes no sense at all. It’s short range, line-of-sight, and needs loads of R&D
But if all you need is short-range, line-of-sight for in-room use….just use LiFi: infrared LEDs as per TV remote. Technology exists, is cheap as chips, with near infinite non-interfering bandwidth, using DWDM.
Yes. But only line of sight. Terahertz isn't much different.
It will probably work quite well for high bandwidth, short range comms. The next step for Bluetooth or WiFi inside single rooms. But I don't see telecoms being able to make much use of it if their classic business case involves a transceiver up on a neighborhood pole. 5G is already hitting limits here, as too much stuff blocks it.
I suspect that one motive might be to grab the bandwidth licenses and go into business selling terahertz WiFi access points into the SOHO market. But with the obligatory monthly cellular bill instead of being consumer owned and free.
"I suspect that one motive might be to grab the bandwidth licenses and go into business selling terahertz WiFi access points into the SOHO market. But with the obligatory monthly cellular bill instead of being consumer owned and free."
If that were to be something that might be considered, the incumbents would object to the need for licencing at all. Short range signals barely able to escape the room they are broadcast in is pretty much the definition of unlicensed spectrum. There would be a LOT of "stakeholder" reaction to attempts to licence that type spectrum.
Yes, but that’s not what is usually meant when people talk about using terahertz radiation, and not what ETSI mean. As per article, ETSI mean up to 10 THz.
From an RF comms perspective, this isn’t an arbitrary limit about SI prefixes. Above 6THz, at room temperature the noise-floor is limited by photon-noise (aka shot noise), not the usual Johnson thermal noise floor at -114dBm/MHz. Not only does it require linearly more power per bit received, you also lose all the phase-coherent communication techniques. On the other hand, you can make your receiver as large as you like, hence increase total received power, rather be limited by antenna-matching size = lambda/4.
This is _the_ technology we need to connect the data centers in space! It'll solve the problem of the faulty hard disk. 6G will replace the motherboard, you know. The individual parts like processor, disk, RAM etc. will just be dumped out there like a fish placing its eggs and 6G will turn it into a functional computer! When the hard disk fails, it will simply go down and burn up in the atmosphere. Another hard disk from the flock will activate and replace the old one with minimal downtime. For the communication back to earth a highly powered 6G beam will be directed onto Sheffield.
One of the major attractions of using terahertz frequencies is the vast amount of bandwidth available. The International Telecommunication's Union (ITU) has identified 137GHz of spectrum between 275GHz and 450GHz as being suitable for use. This means that it is possible to achieve extremely high data rates, with some reports indicating that speeds of up to several terabits per second could be achieved.
Another benefit of using these high frequencies is that the small wavelength of the signals allows for compact and miniaturized devices and antennas. This could lead to the development of new technologies that are smaller and more efficient than their predecessors.
However, there are also potential negative impacts on marine life. The use of terahertz frequencies in 6G technology could potentially interfere with the natural behaviour and communication of marine animals. For example, some species of fish and dolphins use low frequency sounds to navigate and communicate with each other. The introduction of high frequency signals into their environment could disrupt these important behaviours.
Additionally, the high energy signals used in 6G technology could also have damaging effects on the delicate ecosystems of the ocean. The intense heat generated by the transmission of these signals could cause harm to coral reefs and other sensitive marine environments.
But perhaps the most shocking revelation is the true mastermind behind the 6G project: none other than the Loch Ness Monster himself. It turns out that the legendary creature has been plotting to use 6G technology to dominate the marine world and make all water animals flee to land. His ultimate goal? To earn a measly treefiddy.
> However, there are also potential negative impacts on marine life. The use of terahertz frequencies in 6G technology could potentially interfere with the natural behaviour and communication of marine animals. For example, some species of fish and dolphins use low frequency sounds to navigate and communicate with each other. The introduction of high frequency signals into their environment could disrupt these important behaviours.
Sound and electromagnetic radiation are, not the same. The fish wont hear anything.
As a THz frequency has a tiny wavelength it will also be unable to penetrate water very well at all.
If they are thinking of going to Thz, this will automatically happen, there will be a transmitter every few meters. They will need to cover everywhere they want to have a signal with 1000s of transmitters, either providing fibre to it (evey house gets fibre), or they will need to make a massive mesh network (if transmitting at Tb/s doable), Placing them on every lamp post, in and outside of every house, where there is no power for these transceivers, they will then have to develop wireless power for these devices so that they don't need to run power everywhere....
yeah, not gonna happen.
> The next mobile data standard should be about maximising coverage
Well thats 6G out of the window then. 4G struggles to get into the centre of Aldi, 5G cant get through the windows of Aldi, and 6G has such a high frequency I suspect a leaf in a tree will block it so your not going to get great signal at a park without a local repeater.
They might run into a little problem when they realize there is no known electronic technology that functions between 1 and 100 THz frequencies. About 1THz is the fastest any transistors have ever shown any gain at. Much above 100 THz and you’ve moved into optical IR.
5G is already a little high up the spectrum for my preference. Safety studies have focused on ionisation (obviously not happening) and heating (would be welcome today, if only!).
What's missing is that the "molecular absorption" talked about can include highly specific resonance modes of individual biomolecules that you and I require to keep on working normally. Biomolecules are always in motion, dynamics are part of function, and I don't want that to be disturbed even in the slightest.
Let's say that the 6G chip you put in your dog or something emits a synch tone at a well defined frequency every 10 minutes at high power. What if that synch is precisely the resonance to unfold your lysozyme or similar? At autopsy it will just look like another case of the mysterious amyloid disease epidemic that has been building for years. No smoking gun, so therefore decades before it gets fixed, if ever.
What's missing is that the "molecular absorption" talked about can include highly specific resonance modes of individual biomolecules
Gives a whole new meaning to the adjective "hardboiled".
One hopes that their list of unsuitable frequencies includes the resonance frequencies of C-H, C-C, C-O, etc, bonds. But that's only for properly functioning equipment? OTOH, I don't live my life in fear of the Microwave Oven in our kitchen even though I have little doubt it could could kill me if it had sufficient motivation.
Note to self: Be nicer to the microwave.
One of the problems with Terahertz security body scanners is the requirement that the target/object/human be lit up with a THz RF source (50 GHz – 0.7 THz, typically 100 GHz or 275-305 GHz is used for scanners). But with 6G everyone will be carrying around their own personal RF source (275GHz to 450GHz, amazing overlap with security body scanners). I wonder how long until someone strips down a few 6G phones and makes a see through clothes scanner from the bits and pieces.
When will the separate radio standards bodies get together and do things properly?
5G is proving to be a waste of time, 4G is more than adequate for any conceivable purpose, and they're wanting to talk about 6G whilst I still cannot readily get coverage in places like the London Underground? Sure, there's WiFi in the Tube (yes, WiFi, not 3G or any other G). But you get the WiFi only in the stations...
THz have a problem going through water, so it will be mostly naked skin that is seen, since synthetic or natural fibre clothes and hair are nearly fully transparent to RF at those frequencies (unless wet, then it would be opaque). I can see a new line of fashion, either carbon (atomic number 6), or aluminium (atomic number 13) fibres embedded into underwear. But no tin(atomic number 50), it is far too high up on the periodic table, way too heavy for clothing! Can't use Magnesium (atomic number 12) either, for the obvious reason. Any RF shielding could be problematic if flying though, security would ask you to strip for your scan.
Just get a tinfoil jacket fitting to your tinfoil hat. And tinfoil pants, obviously. Or, if you're a female, cosplay, since chainmail bikinis would cover all the important bits... Full plate mail would do too, but it's a little on the heavy side, and you might get thrown out of the bus or elevator you intended to take. On the other hand you'd be welcome at any Renaissance fair, so there are pros and cons.
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