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Researchers in China and the United States have created a diminutive 6G processor that could render sluggish and precarious data transmissions in rural areas obsolete — and it boasts hundreds of times more velocity than your smartphone’s ongoing downloading rates.
Currently, 5G stands as the premier standard for wireless communication, commonly employing frequencies lower than 6 gigahertz, although this may vary from one nation to another. The leading cellular network in the U.S. during the initial semester of 2025 showcased a 5G download rate of 299.36 megabits each second.
Conversely, 6G, projected by experts to be available by 2030, is anticipated to utilize various frequency ranges and holds the capability of being 10,000-fold swifter than 5G. Nevertheless, the complication with leveraging 6G is that gadgets will necessitate an array of components to access the diverse radio-frequency ranges — an attribute lacking in contemporary devices.
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Nonetheless, researchers have now consolidated the entirety of the wireless spectrum, encompassing nine radio-frequency (RF) bands — spanning from 0.5 to 110 GHz — into a processor merely 0.07 by 0.43 inches (1.7 by 11 millimeters) in dimension.
Furthermore, the novel processor can attain a data transmission speed surpassing 100 gigabits per second, notably on low bands prevalent in remote locales, where speeds are notoriously tardy. The researchers also ascertained that communication remained consistent throughout the entire spectrum. They unveiled their discoveries in a study featured on Aug. 27 in the journal Nature.
To contextualize this data velocity, Chinese state media Xinhua reports that 1,000 smartphones equipped with the processor could concurrently stream an 8K ultra-high-definition video without compromising performance.
The scientists portrayed this “one-size-fits-all hardware resolution” in their research as having the capacity to be reconfigured dynamically to shift the frequency band according to necessity.
The researchers emphasized that this is critical because devices utilizing 6G will employ diverse wireless spectra — ranging from microwave, millimeter wave (mmWave) to terahertz (THz) bands.
The researchers noted that high-frequency mmWave and sub-THz bands — positioned between 100 GHz and 300 GHz — will serve applications necessitating exceptionally minimal latency, such as accelerated artificial intelligence (AI) computation and remote sensing. However, the scientists elaborated in their study that sub-6 GHz and microwave bands remain indispensable for delivering coverage across extensive areas.
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A light-based approach to 6G
According to the scientists in the study, the predicament with existing wireless hardware lies in its design, which restricts it to operating within a limited frequency range. Consequently, implementing 6G as it currently stands would mandate numerous distinct systems for varied bands, rendering widespread deployment both costly and intricate.
The researchers suggest that their innovative chip could potentially substitute multiple systems by embracing a dual electro-optic methodology — employing light to produce stable signals across the RF spectrum. A broadband electro-optic modulator transmutes wireless signals into optical signals, subsequently channeled through adaptable optoelectronic oscillators — circuits leveraging light and electricity to create radio frequencies, spanning from the microwave band to the THz band.
Instead of conventional lithium niobate, which modulates light at elevated velocities, the scientists fabricated their chip from thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN). TFLN has risen to prominence as the preferred material for cutting-edge telecommunication hardware, owing to its capability to furnish greater bandwidths accompanied by diminished latency.
Upon the extensive rollout of 6G, as user demand for data escalates, cellular networks will inevitably encounter congestion — mirroring the peak-time conditions observed in 5G networks. Elevated traffic levels could precipitate bottlenecks and diminished data rates.
The novel system circumvents interference through the employment of what the researchers term “adaptive spectrum management.” In contrast to conventional methods wherein signals are compressed into one or two frequency bands, this innovative chip permits signals to oscillate between multiple frequencies sans any compromise to data transmission. This could alleviate the likelihood of signaling complications during large-scale events or within densely populated environments where tens of thousands of devices simultaneously connect to a network.
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— Scientists could realize ultra-fast 6G by harnessing curving light rays
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Wang Xingjun, the lead author of the study and the associate dean of the School of Electronics at Peking University, communicated to Xinhua that “this technology mirrors the construction of a super-wide highway wherein electronic signals represent vehicles and frequency bands signify lanes.”
Although Wang and his fellow authors maintain that their “full-spectrum” 6G chip possesses the capacity to be incorporated into all compatible devices, substantial efforts remain necessary to cultivate the infrastructure requisite for the upcoming epoch of wireless communications.
Rich McEachranShow More Comments
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China solves ‘century-old problem’ with new analog chip that is 1,000 times faster than high-end Nvidia GPUs
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