5G Networks Using New Milimeter Wave Antennas May Roll Out Before 2020

The need to roll out 5G networks can't be more urgent than now, what with the proliferation of internet based devices and data usage, which is higher than ever in the past.

A new research might hold the key to faster rollout of 5G networks — researchers at the Ohio State University have created hovering antennas that will be able to put out 5G signals that can avoid interruptions.

This is important as 5G signals are very sensitive and more susceptible to interruptions than current 4G signals.

The researchers have taken up the millimeter wave technology — which is being worked upon for 5G network penetration — and are working on spreading it through “hovering” antennas capable of high-speed data transmission on high frequencies.

"Nowadays, we use cellphones for all sorts of wireless communication for voice and video transmission. There is a need and a growth every year. Every year we need a lot more [signal strength] to send and receive more data than the previous year. We are trying to go about 50 times higher frequency to get us 50 times higher bandwidth. So, the idea is to create devices that transmit and receive data at these very high frequencies,” Nima Ghalichechian, assistant professor in electrical and computer engineering at the Ohio State University and the leading author on the project said in a press release.

Higher frequencies would mean higher data proliferation, as the lower frequencies are already crowded due to current data demands.

Not only that, the solution provided by the researchers is also more cost efficient than say, laying fiber optic cables, and will help in creating 5G infrastructure much faster. The researchers have 3D printed special antennas that can utilize millimeter wave technology for this.

“Think of it like a diaphragm supported by small posts, but it’s mostly floating. The idea is to physically isolate the antenna from the lossy substrate. Suspend it in air,” Ghalichechian further stated, explaining the functioning of the antennas, which are currently mounted on silicon substrates, which create a loss in signals, but the researchers are working on special 3D printed lensing structures that will contain this loss.

Data usage is currently on a high, but 5G is more important because of the popularity of internet of things devices such as smart speakers. For such devices to function around the clock they need to be connected 24/7 and need to have access to high speed data networks so that they can transmit high amounts of data easily — for example if you have a smart security camera and need data from a particular time last week, the camera should be able to filter data and provide the user the video feed within minutes.

The model is still under development, but it might be crucial to the creation of high-speed 5G networks and seems to be a scalable model that can be applied to cellphones and smart devices.

5G networks were earlier expected to roll out only by 2020, buy chances are that this model might make it happen much sooner.