Samsung Electronics says it’s made a breakthrough with plans for a successor to 4G. It’s developed the world’s first adaptive array transceiver technology that uses millimetre-wave Ka bands for mobile communications. This offers new opportunities for what could become fifth-generation (5G) mobile devices.
Although millimetre-wave frequencies (part of the ‘microwave’ band) have been considered for 5G, they’ve previously not been practical for longer-distance transmission. Samsung’s new adaptive array uses 64 antenna elements, transmitting data at speeds of up to 1.056 Gbps across a distance of up to 2 kilometres.
In a blog post, Samsung said its research and development work was intended to result in commercial 5G technologies by 2020.
Last year Samsung was one of a group of companies that invested in a new 5G Innovation Centre at the University of Surrey in Guildford.
[Samsung Tomorrow blog]