American telecommunications giant Verizon and technology leader Ericsson have announced the successful completion of the world’s first 6G communication test conducted outside of a laboratory setting. The trial took place at a Verizon commercial site in Concord, California, utilizing the 7 GHz frequency band.
6G Takes to the Real World
According to information published by Ericsson on October 15, conceptual 6G equipment underwent field trials, marking a significant step in moving the technology beyond laboratory confines to test its performance in real-world conditions. The companies were able to evaluate the network’s effectiveness in an open-air environment and investigate how the wireless signal would behave when penetrating buildings indoors.
Note: “Pre-standard 6G technology” signifies that an official technical standard has not yet been defined, and the technology is in the early stages of development and testing.
Testing Details
Ericsson’s conceptual 6G equipment was deployed at Verizon’s commercial site in Concord. The base station was situated indoors, while the end-user was located in a mobile cabin measuring approximately 3.7 meters in length and 2.4 meters in width. The cabin was equipped with an independent power source and backup batteries. Various wall and window materials were used to compare signal coverage efficiency under different conditions.
The testing was performed using a yet-to-be-standardized 6G protocol with a 400 MHz channel bandwidth. This trial was not limited to assessing the signal’s ability to penetrate buildings. The companies confirmed the successful execution of a 6G communication test in an outdoor setting and also explored changes in 6G signal performance during indoor penetration.
Aspects Investigated
- Network coverage
- Throughput
- Signal latency
- Stability
- Overall functionality
Real-world factors were also considered, including line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight conditions, interference from vegetation and buildings, as well as signal penetration through different types of glass and construction materials.
Future Prospects of 6G
Representatives from Ericsson and Verizon emphasized that the test results are solely a proof of concept ahead of the release of official 6G standards and do not signify the commencement of commercial deployment of this technology. The companies plan to continue analyzing the data gathered from these field trials and leverage the acquired experience for further research, testing, and network deployment planning.
In the future, 6G is expected to offer more flexible network programming capabilities, higher response speeds, and the ability to analyze the usage environment. This will open new horizons for immersive communications, AI-driven services, industrial automation, and robotic systems.
