Boffins from the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics and the Karlsruhe Institute for Technology (KIT) have set a new world record in wireless data transmission. The team achieved a wireless data transmission speed of 40Gbps at 240GHz over a distance of 1 Km, between the roofs of two skyscrapers in Karlsruhe, Germany. The team think that in the future such wireless links will be able to patch gaps in broadband provision in rural areas, for example. The transmitter and receiver chip features high carrier mobility (HEMT) transistors and measures just 4.0mm x 1.5mm.
The high frequency chip only measures 4 x 1.5 mm
The press release detailing the world record smashing wireless data transmission achievement informs us that the new system is capable of transmitting the data from a complete DVD in under one second. The team have also used the system to cover distances of greater than one kilometre. A particularly useful deployment of this technology would be filling gaps in fibre-optic networks created by difficult natural or urban obstacles such as rivers or busy traffic junctions, suggests the team.
Explaining the technology the KIT statement says “Using the high frequency range between 200 and 280 GHz... enables the fast transmission of large volumes of data”. Also, helpfully, “The atmosphere shows low attenuation in this frequency range, which enables broadband directional radio links”. The components are also small as “the size of electronic circuits and antennae scales with frequency / wavelength”; the transmitter and receiver chip only measures 4.0mm x 1.5mm. That’s great for integrating into easily installable systems which will be easier to hide from the elements such as wind, rain etc.
The new "internet cannon" aiming at another skyscraper
The project may already boast impressive wireless transmission rates but still has plenty of scope for improvement says Jochen Antes of KIT. “Improving the spectral efficiency by using more complex modulation formats or a combination of several channels, i.e. multiplexing, will help to achieve even higher data rates”, are possible future refinements to the system according to Antes.
