Gigabit Wireless

Gigabit Wireless – Is This the Wireless of the Future?

Wireless networks are constantly requiring the ability to handle more and more data. Two papers about gigabit wireless, both addressing this problem, were recently given at a convention for wireless communications. One of the papers suggested that the millimeter-wave band could be the answer to the problem. This paper noted that the millimeter-wave band, or MMW, could increase the wireless abilities of smart phones and tablets, at least in theory. The researchers were interested in technologies that make the data capacity larger for wireless networks. They found that polarimetric filtering creates a greater density of links between data. The research suggested that each link using the MMW could reach more than 6Gbps and that there could be more than one link at a time in a room. This is much better performance than current technology allows.

One of the students working on the project created a video to illustrate what this may be able to accomplish. Every year, the demand for data doubles, and it does not seem likely that this demand will decline any time soon. This is forcing service providers to make their networks denser. Moreover, 3G and 4G networks are reaching their limits, another factor that is causing developers to consider MMW for 5G networks.

The other research talked about beamforming, or spatial filtering, being a possible problem solver for connections between 4G and 5G stations and networks. It also spoke positively of connections that go directly to the user. This would include focusing the waveforms directly onto the tablets and phones. Until now, the connection to the core network has limited the data the cell network can handle. The research proposed an algorithm to lengthen the data rate while, at the same time, reducing possible interference. The researchers had some success in doing this, and the future of this technology is bright.

These papers reflect the ongoing efforts to allow gigabit wireless the ability to handle the increasing need for data.