European Microwave Week 2024 was held in Paris, France, attracting more than 4,000 participants, 1,600 conference delegates and more than 300 exhibitors to discuss the most advanced technologies in fields ranging from automotive, 6G, aerospace to defense.
Innovation in high frequency and high power technology
There are several major trends in future wireless communications and technology development, especially the focus on high frequency and high power requirements.
With the promotion of 5G technology, the industry has begun to focus on the research of advanced 5G functions and 6G technology. These studies cover from lower FR1 and FR3 frequency bands to higher millimeter wave and terahertz frequency bands, pointing out the future direction of wireless communication technology.
Reconfigurable Smart Surface (RIS)
A technology called Reconfigurable Smart Surface (RIS) attracted much attention at the conference, which can help solve signal propagation problems and increase network density.
A full-duplex point-to-point link operating in the D-band achieved 10Gbps transmission speeds on the 300GHz band for the first time, demonstrating the huge potential of D-band technology in future applications.
At the same time, the concept of joint communication and sensing technology has also been proposed. This technology can find applications in many fields such as intelligent transportation, industrial automation, environmental monitoring, and medical health, and has broad market prospects.
Integration of terrestrial and satellite technologies
The technical path for the integration of terrestrial and satellite communication technologies. In order to meet the global demand for larger bandwidth and wider range of connections, broadband connection technology in Ka and Ku bands and direct satellite connection technology in L and S bands are developing rapidly.
Technology under the 3GPP standardization framework is also constantly improving. Currently, there are 10 frequency bands available for satellite communications, and more frequency bands will be added in the future. Starting from 3GPP Release 20, a new 3D satellite constellation concept will be introduced, which will combine geostationary orbit (GEO) and low earth orbit (LEO) satellites to build a more efficient communication system.
These technologies can not only improve communication capabilities between satellites, but also strengthen the connection between satellites and ground stations, promoting the application of the Internet of Things and big data.