LG Electronics said the 6G test was completed at the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute (HHI) in Berlin

Korean tech company LG Electronics said it has successfully tested the wireless transmission and reception of terahertz (THz) data as part of research into future 6G systems.

In a release, the company noted that the test was carried out at a frequency range of 155 to 175 GHz over a distance of 320 meters outdoors.

The 6G test, which was completed at the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute (HHI) in Berlin, Germany, represents a significant step toward commercializing 6G THz in both indoor and outdoor urban areas, LG said.

In August of last year, LG said it had proved it could transfer 6G THz data over a distance of 100 meters outdoors.

LG explained that as-yet-unstandardized 6G technology in the THz range has a relatively short range and can experience power loss from transmission to reception. To solve these problems, LG, Fraunhofer HHI, and Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics (IAF) have co-developed a power amplifier capable of increasing transmission strength, and a receiver low-noise amplifier that improves incoming signal quality, the Korean company said.

Used in the recent demonstration, the organizations’ multi-channel power amplifier has an output of more than 20dBm, an increase of over 5dBm from the solution LG and Fraunhofer HHI and IAF deployed in the previous trial. The parties also utilized a receiver low-noise amplifier that minimizes noise generation for reception signal. These new technologies have been integrated into LG’s latest module design, which has been highly capable of future IC (Integrated Circuit) fabrication to help ease the path towards future commercialization.

“With the success of our latest demonstration, we are one step closer to realizing 6G speeds of 1 terabit (TB) per second in both indoor and outdoor urban areas,” said Kim Byoung-hoon, CTO and EVP of LG Electronics. “LG will continue to cooperate with research institutes and industry innovators to further solidify its leadership in 6G technology. We expect 6G to be a major driver of future business and new user experiences, and there is no place we’d rather be than at the forefront of its development.”

LG said it plans to announce the full results of its latest 6G communications test and present an overview of the technology’s development so far at the upcoming 6G Grand Summit, set to take place at the LG Science Park in Seoul on September 23.

LG also noted that discussions regarding 6G network standardization are expected to begin around 2025, with commercialization of the technology slated for 2029.

LG said it is currently cooperating with research institutes, universities and businesses from all over the world. The company also aims to establish ‘R&D cooperation belts’ for 6G core technologies, working with organizations including Fraunhofer HHI& IAF, KAIST, KRISS and Keysight Technologies in 6G R&D.

In June 2021, LG was selected by the Next G Alliance, an initiative of the Alliance for Telecommunications Industry Solutions (ATIS) in the U.S., to lead an applications working group to discuss 6G technologies.

In May 2022, LG Electronics had showcased future 6G technologies at the IEEE International Conference on Communications (ICC) 2022. At the conference, which took place in South Korea’s capital Seoul, LG displayed its 6G communications technologies, including Full Duplex Radio transmission and reception tech that maximizes frequency efficiency, and a power amplifier device, jointly developed with the Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute (HHI), for the wireless transmission and reception of 6G THz data.