King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) has announced a partnership with a foreign company to advance communication technologies from 5G to 6G, according to a report by the Saudi Press Agency.
Telecommunications experts project that by 2025, over 50bn devices will be connected to the internet, ranging from those managing city power grids to those used for social media. This collaboration will see the foreign company continuing to fund two key communications programmes at KAUST.
The first programme focuses on Free-Space Optical (FSO) communications, which use lasers to transmit signals through space and air to a wireless detector. As signal frequency increases, so does attenuation, with 6G having the highest frequency to date (at least 100 gigahertz). This programme will measure the impact of weather on signal transmission to build a comprehensive database of weather conditions in the Kingdom. This data will help strategically place communication stations and deploy backup systems to mitigate outages.
The second programme centres on developing Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS), which address signal loss in urban environments. RIS, made up of thousands of cells with layers of metal, insulators, and semiconductors, are expected to play a crucial role in enabling 6G technology.
KAUST’s initiative enhances the Kingdom’s leadership in 6G communication technologies, attracting global investment in infrastructure and providing a platform for scientists to test new technologies. This effort will also generate data on weather conditions and communication performance in the Kingdom.
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