Rohde & Schwarz noted that the development of sub-THz communications as envisioned for 6G will only be possible with a solid understanding of the properties of electromagnetic wave propagation
German company Rohde & Schwarz has conducted a channel-sounding measurement campaign with the aim of offering a better understanding of the properties of electromagnetic wave propagation between 100 GHz and 330 GHz, the company said in a release.
Rohde & Schwarz noted that the development of sub-THz communications as envisioned for 6G will only be possible with a solid understanding of the properties of electromagnetic wave propagation.
Rohde & Schwarz has conducted a channel sounding measurement campaign performed in an urban micro scenario as well as an indoor scenario at 158 GHz and 300 GHz on the Rohde & Schwarz campus in Munich, Germany.
First results of this campaign have contributed to the ITU-R Working Party 5D (W5PD) report on “Technical feasibility of IMT in bands above 100 GHz” with the objective to study and provide information on the technical feasibility of mobile cellular technologies in bands above 92 GHz, according to the test company.
The report will be consulted at the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) World Radio Conference 2023 (WRC23), where additional frequency bands beyond 100 GHz are expected to be discussed and considered for allocation at the subsequent WRC27. The current 3GPP channel model is only validated up to 100 GHz. A crucial first step for the standardization process for 6G is to extend this channel model to higher frequencies, the company said.
“We are proud to contribute our share in investigating THz technologies, further extending knowledge by applying our leading-edge test and measurement solutions to early application scenarios and fundamental research, joining our renowned partners such as the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute (HHI) and the Technical University (TU) Berlin in collaborations. With our current activities, we lay the foundation to support a critical step in the standardization process of 6G,” said Taro Eichler, technology manager at Rohde & Schwarz and responsible for the recent sub-THz measurement campaign.
The German firm also said that the recent measurement campaign is part of larger research activities with the goal to better understand the millimeter and sub-millimeter (sub-THz and THz) mobile radio channels, which cover various frequencies of relevance for the future 6G communication standard. To further pursue and extend these research activities, Rohde & Schwarz has been granted an experimental license by the German federal network agency Bundesnetzagentur to extend research activities. The license encompasses frequencies in the sub-THz region such as the D-band (110 GHz – 170 GHz) and H-band (220 GHz – 330 GHz), but also in the W-band (75 GHz – 110 GHz), FR2 (mmWave), FR3 (7 GHz – 24 GHz) and the industrial frequency band in Germany, 3.7 GHz – 3.8 GHz.
