Samsung announced on Monday that it has successfully developed the world’s first adaptive array transceiver technology operating in the millimeter-wave Ka bands for cellular communications. This tech will be at the core of 5G mobile connectivity, and promises data transmissions up to "several hundred times faster" than current 4G LTE networks.
Unfortunately, it will be 2020 before an actual 5G service will be available on a consumer level. That projection mirrors a target set by the European Union which revealed a plan earlier this year to invest €50 million in research to deliver 5G mobile technology by 2020.
"Samsung’s latest innovation is expected to invigorate research into 5G cellular communications across the world; the company believes it will trigger the creation of international alliances and the timely commercialization of related mobile broadband services," the company stated.
Samsung said its new adaptive array transceiver tech uses 64 antenna elements, and transmits data in the millimeter-wave band at a frequency of 28 GHz at a speed of up to 1.056 Gbps to a distance of up to 2 kilometers. Additional reports claim the tech will reportedly enable upload and download speeds of up to 10 Gbps compared to the 75 Mbps speeds seen on fourth-generation long-term evolution (4G LTE) networks.
Samsung believes this new tech can be a viable solution for overcoming the radio propagation loss at millimeter-wave bands, much higher than the conventional frequency bands ranging from several hundred MHz to several GHz.
"Samsung’s new technology will allow users to transmit massive data files including high quality digital movies practically without limitation," the company said. "As a result, subscribers will be able to enjoy a wide range of services such as 3D movies and games, real-time streaming of ultra high-definition (UHD) content, and remote medical services."
Maybe by 2020 the majority of consumers worldwide will have finally jumped on the 4G LTE-Advanced bandwagon, which launches later this year, just in time for the 5G network launch. It will be like getting a sparkly new, cutting-edge phone and the successor arrives just a month later.
