Why Nokia and Ericsson are Shutting China Ops| 5G, Huawei & the Global Tech War Explained

Recommendable!

(148) Why Nokia Is Shutting China Ops| 5G, Huawei & the Global Tech War Explained - YouTube

Bending ultrahigh frequency microwave ‘Airy beams’ bend around obstacles

Amazing stuff!

"... researchers are bending a type of high-energy microwave radiation around solid obstacles to unlock new bandwidths for wireless data transmission. ...

 new study ... brings us closer to transmitting data via ultrahigh frequency microwaves (100–300 gigahertz), which the authors say will play a critical role in next-generation wireless technologies. ...

team has designed a system which transmits the signal as a type of wave which can curve around obstructions without spreading out and losing its intensity. ..."

From the abstract:

"The line-of-sight blockage is one of the main challenges in sub-terahertz wireless networks. Interestingly, the extended near-field range of sub-terahertz nodes gives rise to near-field wavefront shaping as a feasible remedy to tackle this issue. Recently, Airy beams emerged as one promising solution that opens significant opportunities to circumvent blockers with unique self-accelerating properties and curved trajectories. Yet, to unleash the full potential of curved beams in practice, one fundamental challenge remains: How to find the best beam trajectory? In principle, an infinite number of trajectories can be engineered.

To find the optimal trajectory, we develop a physics-informed machine-learning framework for Airy beam shaping based on a detailed understanding of near-field electromagnetics, ray optics, and wave optics. The experimental results indicate that Airy beams, when correctly configured, can substantially increase the link budget under high-blockage scenarios even compared to near-field beam focusing, providing insight into coverage expansion and blind-spot reduction."

Bending microwave ‘Airy beams’ like Beckham

A physics-informed Airy beam learning framework for blockage avoidance in sub-terahertz wireless networks (open access)

Fig. 1: Generation and features of Airy beams.

SoftBank's High Altitude Platform Station for cellphone service Launches

Glimpse the blimps! Will there be any advertisement shown on their surface? Just kidding!

What a remarkable career for airships since the Hindenburg Disaster in 1937.

"Starting next year, Tokyo’s SoftBank Corp. will be beaming a prototype 4G and 5G phone and broadband service from the stratosphere to Japanese end users. Floating 20 kilometers above the Earth, the company’s airship-based mast will be using energy-regeneration tech and newly allocated spectrum. And the tech could ultimately pose a real, competitive threat to satellite-based platforms like Starlink. ..."

SoftBank's High Altitude Platform Station Launches - IEEE Spectrum "Japan’s SoftBank is developing airship-based 4G and 5G cell masts"

High-altitude 5G cellphone towers will be prototyped in Japan next year—delivered in part by the Moriarty, N.M.–based Sceye, which developed the airship platform.

New transmitter chip could make wireless devices more energy-efficient

Good news!

"Researchers from MIT and elsewhere have designed a novel transmitter chip that significantly improves the energy efficiency of wireless communications, which could boost the range and battery life of a connected device.

Their approach employs a unique modulation scheme to encode digital data into a wireless signal, which reduces the amount of error in the transmission and leads to more reliable communications.

The compact, flexible system could be incorporated into existing internet-of-things devices to provide immediate gains, while also meeting the more stringent efficiency requirements of future 6G technologies. ...

When the signals aren’t uniform in length, it can be harder for the receiver to distinguish between symbols and noise that squeezed into the transmission.

To overcome this problem, the MIT transmitter adds a small amount of padding, in the form of extra bits between symbols, so that every transmission is the same length.

This helps the receiver identify the beginning and end of each transmission, preventing misinterpretation of the message. However, the device enjoys the energy efficiency gains of using a non-uniform, optimal modulation scheme. ...

This approach works because of a technique the researchers previously developed known as GRAND, which is a universal decoding algorithm that crack any code by guessing the noise that affected the transmission.

Here, they employ a GRAND-inspired algorithm to adjust the length of the received transmission by guessing the extra bits that have been added. In this way, the receiver can effectively reconstruct the original message. ..."

From the abstract:

"A fully integrated bits-to-RF transmitter featuring deep power back-off (PBO) enhancements is demonstrated, incorporating a time-interleaved multi-subharmonic-switching digital power amplifier (DPA) and a harmonic-rejection digital-to-phase converter (DPC).

This architecture also employs a non-uniform Optimal Modulation (OM) constellation to enhance the transmission error rate.

The system implemented in 65 nm CMOS achieves 58.1% peak power-added efficiency (PAE) and 52% peak system efficiency (SE) with 22.7 dBm peak output power, using 2.6 and 1.3 V VDDs.

Dynamic measurements of a 64-point OM constellation achieved 23.1% PAE and 19.4% SE at 16.9 dBm average output power, while maintaining an EVM of –29.9 dB at 1.5 GHz carrier frequency.

Compared to standard QAM, the proposed OM scheme reduces the bit error rate (BER) by 2.4× and the symbol error rate (SER) by 4.5×, demonstrating its suitability for high-efficiency and reliable signal transmission."

New transmitter could make wireless devices more energy-efficient | MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology "The flexible chip could boost the performance of current electronics and meet the more stringent efficiency requirements of future 6G technologies."

A Fully Integrated Optimal Modulation Bits-to-RF Digital Transmitter using Time-Interleaved Multi-Subharmonic-Switching DPA (no public access)

DARPA's wireless laser power relay sets new distance power transmission record of 8.6 km and 800 watts

Good news!

"Looking forward to a future where laser beams replace power lines, DAPRA's Persistent Optical Wireless Energy Relay (POWER) program has set new records for transmitting more power wirelessly over longer distances. ...

When it comes to military and humanitarian operations, obtaining a steady, reliable source of power is of paramount importance and this has only increased over time. ... supply line

across the infamous last mile where power lines cannot be slung or pipelines buried and soldiers are often reduced to hauling jerry cans of fuel over rough country by hand and back muscle. ...

recent tests in New Mexico setting new records.

Previously, the POWER system managed to use a laser to beam 230 watts across one mile (1.7 km) for 25 seconds, and an undisclosed lesser amount of power as far as 2.3 miles (3.7 km).

Now, DARPA has managed to increase this to 800 watts for 30 seconds at a distance of 5.3 miles (8.6 km). ...

The system is built around what is called the Power Receiver Array Demo (PRAD), which is a ball-like structure that has a compact aperture to allow a laser beam to enter. This beam strikes a parabolic mirror that scatters the light and shines it on an array of dozens of photovoltaic cells. These convert the laser light back into electricity. ..."

"The POWER program will leverage power beaming for near-instantaneous energy transport to enable a resilient, multi-path energy network. To create this wireless energy web, POWER seeks to design and demonstrate effective airborne optical energy relays. ..."

"... “It is beyond a doubt that we absolutely obliterated all previously reported optical power beaming demonstrations for power and distance,” said POWER Program Manager Paul Jaffe after the results were confirmed. ..."

DARPA's wireless laser power relay sets new distance record

POWER: Persistent Optical Wireless Energy Relay

DARPA program sets distance record for power beaming (original news release) "Successful demonstration of new receiver technology is important step for revolutionizing power delivery at the edge"

The POWER Receiver Array Demo (PRAD) set the records for power and distance for optical power beaming; the graphic shows how it compares to previous notable efforts.

The 6G Revolution: Who Will Control the Future? with Palki Sharma

Will China and India pull ahead of Western countries? Who will set the standards?

Space-time-coding metasurface could transform wireless networks with dual-functionality for 6G era

Amazing stuff!

"... Researchers ... showed that a specific PM, known as a space-and-time-coding metasurface, could simultaneously support both sensing and wireless communication.

Their paper ... introduces two promising schemes for integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) that rely on a space-and-time-coding metasurface they developed. ...

Notably, the metasurface designed by Cui and his colleagues supports both the original frequency of a signal it is interacting with and additional harmonic frequencies, which can be controlled with high precision.

While the original frequency can be used to enable high-quality communication, the controllable harmonics support the real-time sensing of the surrounding environment and the detection of signals of interest via a machine-learning algorithm. ..."

From the abstract:

"Programmable metasurfaces (PMs), also called reconfigurable intelligent surfaces (RISs), are planar structures capable of dynamically manipulating electromagnetic waves in real-time. Regarded as a key enabling technology for implementing smart wireless propagation environments, PMs/RISs also serve as an ideal supporting platform for integrated sensing and communication (ISAC). Here, we propose two ISAC schemes based on a special type of PMs/RISs: space-time-coding metasurfaces (STCMs). By leveraging space-time-coding strategies, STCMs simultaneously control the propagation at the fundamental (carrier) frequency for reliable wireless communication and generate spatially distributed harmonics for sensing. The proposed schemes seamlessly integrate both communication and sensing on a shared hardware platform, eliminating the need for additional sensors. For experimental validation, we implemented an ISAC system using a 2-bit STCM operating at microwave frequencies. Experimental results align with theoretical predictions, confirming the practical viability and effectiveness of the proposed ISAC schemes for applications in communication, imaging, radar, and sensing systems."

Space-time-coding metasurface could transform wireless networks with dual-functionality for 6G era

Integrated sensing and communication based on space-time-coding metasurfaces (open access)

Fig. 1: Conceptual illustration of the proposed space-time-coding metasurface (STCM)-based integrated sensing and communication (ISAC) scheme.

Nokia is putting the first cellular network on the moon

Amazing stuff!

"Neil Armstrong famously said, “That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” when he took his first steps on the moon on July 20, 1969."

"Later this month, Intuitive Machines, the private company behind the first commercial lander that touched down on the moon, will launch a second lunar mission from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The plan is to deploy a lander, a rover, and hopper to explore a site near the lunar south pole that could harbor water ice, and to put a communications satellite on lunar orbit. 

But the mission will also bring something that’s never been installed on the moon or anywhere else in space before—a fully functional 4G cellular network. ..."

"Final integration of Nokia Lunar Surface Communication System into IM-2 lander is complete.

Nokia intends to prove capabilities of cellular technology for future lunar exploration with the upcoming IM-2 mission.

7 January 2025

... Nokia and Intuitive Machines, Inc. today announced the successful final integration of Nokia’s Lunar Surface Communication System (“LSCS”) into the IM-2 mission lander, named Athena. Athena and the LSCS will voyage to the lunar south pole region in the upcoming IM-2 mission, where Nokia and Intuitive Machines intend to deploy the first cellular network on the Moon. ..."

Nokia is putting the first cellular network on the moon | MIT Technology Review

Nokia’s cellular network ready for Moon as Intuitive Machines completes final lunar lander installation

5G Networks Meet Consumer Needs as Mobile Data Growth Slows. It’s Time To Rethink 6G

Food for thought! Will new applications etc. be developed that need more bandwidth?

Caveat: I did not read the whole article!

"Is the worldwide race to keep expanding mobile bandwidth a fool’s errand? Could maximum data speeds—on mobile devices, at home, at work—be approaching “fast enough” for most people for most purposes?

These heretical questions are worth asking, because industry bandwidth tracking data has lately been revealing something surprising: Terrestrial and mobile-data growth is slowing down. In fact, absent a dramatic change in consumer tech and broadband usage patterns, data-rate demand appears set to top out below 1 billion bits per second (1 gigabit per second) in just a few years. ...

Transmitting high-end 4K video today requires 15 Mb/s, according to Netflix. Home broadband upgrades from, say, hundreds of Mb/s to 1,000 Mb/s (or 1 Gb/s) typically make little to no noticeable difference for the average end user. Likewise, for those with good 4G connectivity, 5G makes much less of an improvement on the mobile experience than advertisers like to claim—despite 5G networks being, according to Cisco, 1.4 to 14 times as fast as 4G.

So, broadly, for a typical mobile device today, going much above 15 Mb/s borders on pointless. For a home, assuming two or three inhabitants all separately browsing or watching, somewhere between 100 Mb/s and 1 Gb/s marks the approximate saturation point beyond which further improvements become less and less noticeable, for most use cases. ..."

5G Networks Meet Consumer Needs as Mobile Data Growth Slows - IEEE Spectrum

Not on the same wavelength: Trump inherits wireless spectrum fight between DoD, commercial industry

The civilian versus military use of wireless spectrum!

Or when the civilian use can negatively impact the military use and mission!

How much of the available and useful spectrum is already utilized? How much is still available for future use? Do we need better technologies to avoid conflicting use?

"... For years the Defense Department and commercial providers have tussled over usage of mid-band spectrum  — between 1 GhZ (gigahertz) to 6 GHz usage, which makes up the 3.1-3.45 and 3.5 GHz S-band — widely considered to be the “Goldilocks” zone of the spectrum. 

The DoD long has contended that this part of the spectrum band is essential for its various satellite communications, radars and navigation systems. However, US and foreign commercial companies covet those frequencies for providing high-speed wireless service to civilian and military users alike. ..."

Not on the same wavelength: Trump inherits spectrum fight between DoD, commercial industry - Breaking Defense "Here's everything you need to know about the spectrum battle between DoD and industry, which offices control the issues, and which way the Trump administration may be leaning."

How 5G Is Transforming China

Very recommendable! Very impressive! E.g. they use 5G inside deep coal mines for enhanced safety of coal miners.

Engineers set new world record on how fast data can be sent wirelessly at a speed of 938 Gigabits per second (Gb/s) over a record frequency range of 5-150 Gigahertz (GHz).

Good news! 6G wireless is coming!

"... This speed is up to 9,380 times faster than the best average 5G download speed in the UK, which is currently 100 Megabits per second (Mb/s) or over1. The total bandwidth of 145GHz is more than five times higher than the previous wireless transmission world record. ...

“Our new approach combines two existing wireless technologies for the first time, high-speed electronics and millimetre wave photonics, to overcoming these barriers. This new system allows for the transmission of large amounts of data at unprecedented speeds, which will be crucial for the future of wireless communications.”

To address the current limitations of wireless technology, researchers ... developed a novel approach that combines advanced electronics, which performs well in the 5-50 GHz range, and a technology called photonics that uses light to generate radio information, which performs well in the 50-150GHz range. ...

For example, a two-hour 4k Ultra HD film (around 14GB of data) would take 19 minutes to download over 5G at 100 Mb/s. Using the new technology it could be downloaded in just 0.12 seconds. ..."

From the abstract:

"The next-generation radio access network (RAN) requires high speed wireless transmission between base stations exceeding ≥ 100 Gb/s to connect access points and hubs. This has motivated research exploring how to fully utilize wireless spectrum from sub-6 GHz to millimeter (mm) waveband (e.g. D-band up to 170 GHz) for data transmission, using either all-electronic or optoelectronic approaches. However, to date, all-electronic and optoelectronic methods have been used separately due to the challenge of generating broad-band signals with synchronized carrier frequencies. Here, we demonstrate an ultra-wide 145 GHz bandwidth wireless transmission of orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) signals over the air, covering 5–150 GHz frequency region. This is achieved by combining the merits of high-speed electronics and microwave photonics technologies. Specifically, the signals over 5–75 GHz are generated using high speed digital-to-analog converters. The high frequency mm-wave band signals, including W-band (75–110 GHz) and D-band (110–150 GHz) signals, are generated by mixing optically modulated signals with frequency-locked lasers on high-speed photodiodes. By frequency-locking two pairs of narrow linewidth lasers and referring to a common quartz oscillator, we generated W-band and D-band signals with stable carrier frequency and reduced phase noise compared to free-running lasers, maximizing the use of spectrum. By using OFDM format and bit loading, we achieve 938 Gb/s transmission data rate with less than 300 MHz gap between different RF and mm-wave bands."

UCL engineers set new record on how fast data can be sent wirelessly | UCL News - UCL – University College London

938 Gb/s, 5–150 GHz Ultra-Wideband Transmission Over the Air Using Combined Electronic and Photonic-Assisted Signal Generation (no public access)

Credits: Londoner Ingenieure brechen Rekord in der drahtlosen Datenübertragung

Graphical abstract

iOS and Android owners will now be alerted if an unknown Bluetooth tracker is moving with them

Wow, what is this all about?

"In May 2023, Google and Apple announced they were joining forces to unveil a new specification aimed at enhancing user privacy with Bluetooth-enabled tracking devices. This initiative is designed to prevent people from using these devices to track others without their consent, marking a significant step towards safeguarding personal privacy in the digital age. ...

The potential victim has several options to address the situation. They can view the tracker's identifier, activate a sound on the tracker to help locate it and access detailed instructions on how to disable it. This set of features is designed to empower individuals to protect themselves effectively against unwanted tracking, enhancing personal security and peace of mind. ..."

iOS and Android owners will now be alerted if an unknown tracker is moving with them | ZDNET Last year, Apple and Google teamed up to develop a specification for alerting users if a Bluetooth tracking device is surreptitiously monitoring them. That feature just rolled out to iOS and Android users.

NearLink launches, 6X faster than Bluetooth, with 1/30th the latency

Good news!

"Huawei has launched a breakthrough short-range wireless connection tech, aiming to combine the advantages of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Faster, more efficient and with a vastly reduced delay, it's also got more than 300 companies and institutions on board. ..."

NearLink launches, 6X faster than Bluetooth, with 1/30th the latency

5G Networks Are Performing Worse. What’s Going On?

Recommendable! The 5G rollout appears to be struggling. They say it is comparable to the previous 4G rollout. However, we are also pushing the technological limits more. Alternatives come into focus.

"By now, the cellular industry’s rollout of 5G networks is three or four years old. ...
Compared with 5G service from a year ago, however, the networks’ upload and download times have generally declined around the world, according to speed-test data from the network diagnostics company Ookla. Even the most robust 5G networks are barely cracking 1 gigabit per second, well short of the International Telecommunication Union’s stated ideal download speed of 20 Gb/s. ...
Millimeter-wave is seeing some limited use in areas that have massive congestion—think sports stadiums and airports. But failing to build out millimeter-wave as a broader backbone component of 5G networks, regardless of whether it’s too expensive or technically limited, hasn’t helped 5G through its periods of growing pains. ... given the lackluster debut of millimeter-wave, that the industry devotes less time in terahertz-wave research and instead considers how cellular and Wi-Fi technologies could be merged in areas requiring dense coverage. ..."

5G Networks Are Performing Worse. What’s Going On? - IEEE Spectrum Millimeter-wave fizzles and regulatory hurdles plague progress

Apptricity Beams Bluetooth Signals Over 30 Kilometers

Amazing stuff! Who thought Bluetooth was a just a short range technology?

"... Apptricity ... has developed a Bluetooth beacon that can transmit signals over 32 kilometers (20 miles). The company believes its beacon is a cheaper, secure alternative to established asset and inventory tracking technologies. ..."

Apptricity Beams Bluetooth Signals Over 30 Kilometers - IEEE Spectrum The company is using precise beaming to develop a new asset tracking technique

Radiall proposes 'massive modular' 6G mesh networks with tiny antennas

How do you like 5G so far? Get ready for the next generation 6G! Not easy to keep up with technological progress!

" ... a team at telecom company Radiall is advocating a radical shift in the very concept of “cellular” infrastructure, using many small, inexpensive antennas as an alternative to the large antennas 5G and older systems rely upon. ..."

Radiall proposes 'massive modular' 6G mesh networks with tiny antennas | VentureBeat

Z-Wave Long Range protocol supports up to 2,000 smart devices on a mesh network

Amazing stuff! Wireless technology keeps on giving!

Z-Wave Long Range protocol supports up to 2,000 smart devices on a mesh network | VentureBeat The Z-Wave Alliance today detailed a new specification intended to accommodate setups with thousands of devices in environments stretching hundreds of feet. The Alliance says that Z-Wave Long Range (Z-Wave LR), which supports things like door locks, garage door sensors, thermostats, and smart lightbulbs, is backward-compatible with both existing Z-Wave networks and previously installed Z-Wave devices.

DOD Agrees to Share Midband Spectrum for Commercial 5G

Good news!



"The Trump Administration is making 100 MHz of midband spectrum available for FCC auction by December 2021, according to the White House, and use by commercial 5G providers at full power ASAP, at least on the government timeline. White House and DOD officials said Monday (Aug. 10) that they had identified spectrum between 3450 and 3550 GHz currently used by DOD for key radar applications, that could be freed up quickly for sharing with commercial 5G without sacrificing national security or military uses"



DOD Agrees to Share Midband Spectrum for Commercial 5G - Multichannel

5G switching gets a 2D boost

Good news! Take a peek at forthcoming 6G technology! 

"The device is configured in a metal-insulator-metal sandwich on a diamond substrate, and the UT team demonstrated that it can transmit multiple HDTV streams at a frequency of 100 GHz – something unheard-of in broadband switch technology ... It can also switch between states in nanoseconds, remain in the “off” state when not operating (so saving battery life), and transmit data well above the baseline for 5G-level speeds. ..."

"... Furthermore, the switches are 50 times more efficient than other non-volatile switches in terms of a d.c. energy-consumption metric, which is an important consideration for ubiquitous mobile systems. We also illustrate the potential of the hBN switches in a communication system with an 8.5 Gbit s–1 data transmission rate at 100 GHz with a low bit error rate under 10−10. ..."

5G switching gets a 2D boost – Physics World Two-dimensional sheets of [hexagonal] boron nitride can be used to create an analogue switch that gives communication devices more efficient access to radio, 5G and terahertz frequencies while increasing their battery life. 

Here is the link to the Nature paper: Analogue switches made from boron nitride monolayers for application in 5G and terahertz communication systems

Here is the corresponding blog post: Atomic RF and 5G Switches A single atomically-thin layer of hexagonal boron nitride shows that thinner is better with regards to radio-frequency switching applications