Communications

The University of Oulu's 6G research program was the first in the world to publish a 6G White Paper in 2019. It was jointly prepared by several dozen experts. In the following two years, several papers on different aspects complemented the series. In total, the scientific vision papers have been... Read more

With the exponential rise in drone activity, safely managing low-flying airspace has become challenging—especially in highly populated areas. Just last month, an unauthorized drone collided with a "Super Scooper" aircraft above the Los Angeles wildfires, grounding the aircraft for several days and hampering firefighting efforts.... Read more

Sixth-generation, or 6G, cellular networks are the next step in wireless communication, and electromagnetic terahertz waves are seen as crucial to its development. However, terahertz waves, with their higher frequency and shorter wavelength, are subject to greater interference from electromagnetic noise, making clear and secure transmission a challenge.... Read more

As 5G and 6G networks expand, they promise a future of incredibly fast and reliable wireless connections. A key technology behind this is millimeter-wave (mmWave), which uses very high-frequency radio waves to transmit huge amounts of data. To make the most of mmWave, networks use large groups of antennas working... Read more

Absorbing layers have been fundamental to advancements in technologies like energy harvesting, stealth systems, and communication networks. These absorbers efficiently capture electromagnetic waves across broad frequency ranges, enabling the development of sustainable, self-powered devices such as remote sensors and internet of things (IoT) systems.... Read more

In fall 2024, NASA developed and tested a 3D-printed antenna to demonstrate a low-cost capability to communicate science data to Earth. The antenna, tested in flight using an atmospheric weather balloon, could open the door for using 3D printing as a cost-effective development solution for the ever-increasing number of science... Read more

In recent years, electronics engineers worldwide have been trying to develop new hardware that could further boost the speed and efficiency of wireless communications. Digitally programmable metasurfaces, advanced artificial materials engineered to manipulate the properties of electromagnetic waves, have been found to be particularly promising for the transmission of wireless... Read more

A new study has introduced an advanced method for visual-inertial navigation, utilizing a single Ultra-Wideband (UWB) anchor with an unknown position to achieve exceptional positioning accuracy and robustness in environments lacking Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signals.... Read more

AT&T is trying to address one of the biggest frustrations for wireless phone and internet customers—losing service to outages and still paying for it.... Read more

Look up: Can you see the sky?... Read more

Researchers have found a low-power, inexpensive way for large numbers of devices, such as machines in factories and equipment in labs, to share information by efficiently using signals at untapped high frequencies.... Read more

Researchers at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory are using non-weather data from the nationwide weather radar network to understand how to track non-meteorological events moving through the air for better emergency response. Weather reports on the news show colorful, near-time representations of clouds and precipitation moving over... Read more

Researchers have developed a new radar signal–processing technology that can dramatically enhance the resolution of existing low-resolution radars. This technology enables precise object recognition using existing hardware specifications without the need for bandwidth expansion.... Read more

A groundbreaking advancement in technology is paving the way for mobile phones and other electronic devices to recharge simply by being kept in a pocket. This innovative system enables wireless charging throughout three-dimensional (3D) spaces, encompassing walls, floors, and air.... Read more

The recent spate of unidentified drone sightings in the U.S., including some near sensitive locations such as airports and military installations, has caused significant public concern.... Read more

A breakthrough in antenna technology that could revolutionize the future of wireless communications, particularly for the upcoming 6th generation (6G) networks, has been announced by a research team led by Professor Chan Chi-hou, Chair Professor of the Department of Electrical Engineering at City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK).... Read more

Researchers have developed a 3D-printed device that generates twisting light beams with orbital angular momentum (OAM), a form of rotational energy that can carry more data than regular beams. The efficient, compact and low-cost vortex beam generators could help enhance the capacity and reliability of future wireless systems.... Read more

As our devices multiply and data demands grow, traditional wireless systems are hitting their limits. To meet these challenges, we have turned to an innovative solution. At the University of Melbourne and Monash University, we have developed a dual-carrier Modular Optical Phased Array (MOPA) communication system. At the core of... Read more

Researchers have demonstrated a prototype mobile all-light communication network, paving the way for seamless connectivity across air, land and underwater environments—even when communication nodes are on a moving vehicle. This advance could enable uninterrupted data exchange in dynamic and challenging settings for navigation, emergency response, research and commercial operations.... Read more

By approving a merger of Vodafone and Three in the UK, the country has secured a commitment from the mobile phone operators to invest billions of pounds on 5G connectivity.... Read more

Researchers have achieved a breakthrough by mapping out the future of space-enabled 5G telecommunications. The 5G Infrastructure Study (5G-IS), funded by ESA's Connectivity and Secure Communications directorate, provides a comprehensive blueprint for delivering reliable connectivity worldwide.... Read more

A surge in GPS jamming attacks in drone warfare has inspired Australian researchers to develop a celestial navigation system that uses visual data from stars rather than relying on the global positioning system.... Read more

A data cable running across the land border between Sweden and Finland has been damaged, a company providing digital infrastructure and data communication in Northern Europe said Tuesday.... Read more

In urban environments, Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) often struggle with signal obstructions caused by tall buildings, vehicles, and other structures. These obstacles lead to Non-Line-of-Sight (NLOS) errors that cause positioning inaccuracies, which are particularly problematic for technologies like autonomous vehicles and intelligent transportation systems.... Read more

One of Denmark's largest cellphone networks suffered severe outages Thursday that prevented people from contacting emergency services, forced at least one hospital to reduce non-critical medical care, and prompted security services in some regions to patrol the streets in search of people in need of help.... Read more

By leveraging cutting-edge additive manufacturing techniques and shape memory alloys, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, have created an antenna that can change its shape based on its temperature.... Read more

Imagine taking the radio frequency properties of the dish antennas you see on rooftops and knitting them into a wearable garment—a sweater or a blanket that is ultralight, portable, easy to fold up and stow away.... Read more

Smartphone-based augmented reality, in which visual elements are overlaid on the image of a smartphone camera, are extremely popular apps. These apps allow users to see how furniture would look in their house, or navigate maps better, or to play interactive games. The global phenomenon Pokémon GO, which encourages players... Read more

Researchers from Princeton and MIT have found a way to intercept underwater messages from the air, overturning long held assumptions about the security of underwater transmissions.... Read more

Comcast is spinning off into a new company many of the cable television networks that were once at the entertainment giant's heart as consumers increasingly swap out their cable TV subscriptions for streaming platforms.... Read more

German and Finland expressed deep concern over the discovery Monday of a severed undersea data cable between the countries through the Baltic Sea, saying it raised suspicions of sabotage and that an investigation was underway.... Read more

A pioneering project is helping lifeboats safely navigate the shifting waters of the Solway Firth on rescue missions by harnessing data from satellites.... Read more

That ordinary smartphone in your pocket could be a powerful tool for investigating outer space. In a new study, researchers at Google and CU Boulder have transformed millions of Android phones across the globe into a fleet of nimble scientific instruments—generating one of the most detailed maps to date of... Read more

5G wireless communication services have rapidly expanded worldwide, leveraging millimeter-wave (mmW) frequencies in the 24 GHz to 71 GHz range (referred to as frequency range 2, or FR2). Looking ahead, Beyond 5G and 6G services, projected to offer ultra-fast connectivity exceeding 100 Gbit/s, are expected to be introduced in the... Read more

A South Korean research team has succeeded in developing a new technology that can detect and track illegal flying drones that cause crimes such as unauthorized flying, terrorism, and privacy invasion. This technology is expected to strengthen national security and enhance public safety against the threat of illegal drones.... Read more

The ongoing transition to a digital economy has already had one observable consequence: a sharp rise in the need for connectivity enabling rapid data transmission. In a global market where connectivity offers are evolving quickly, satellites are now achieving technical and economic performances close to those of terrestrial solutions. The... Read more

After launching at 9:29 p.m. EST Nov. 4, the SpaceX Dragon capsule docked at the International Space Station at 9:52 a.m. EST Nov. 5. The spacecraft carried more than 6,000 pounds of scientific investigations and cargo to the orbiting laboratory on SpaceX's 31st commercial resupply services mission for NASA.... Read more

The research team from the Department of Geography at SUNY Buffalo developed an innovative framework that uses a combination of 34 models to map monthly population distributions at fine resolutions. By integrating mobile phone data, building area, and detailed residential classifications, they created highly accurate population maps.... Read more

The research team of Dr. Byeongjin Park and Dr. Sang Bok Lee from the Composites & Convergence Materials Research Division at the Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS), has developed the world's first ultra-thin film composite material capable of absorbing over 99% of electromagnetic waves from various frequency bands (such... Read more

In an advance for vehicle navigation, researchers have developed an advanced system that integrates Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), Inertial Measurement Units (IMU), and Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) Odometry (LO). This novel approach addresses key challenges in urban navigation, offering a substantial boost in positioning accuracy and reliability, particularly... Read more

Dangling from a weather balloon 80,000 feet above New Mexico, a pair of antennas sticks out from a Styrofoam cooler. From that height, the blackness of space presses against Earth's blue skies. But the antennas are not captivated by the breathtaking view. Instead, they listen for signals that could make... Read more

Free onboard wifi has become the latest battleground between the world's leading airlines as the once expensive and unreliable service finally delivers quality comparable to being at home.... Read more

A new world record in wireless transmission, promising faster and more reliable wireless communications, has been set by researchers from UCL.... Read more

The future of wireless technology—from charging devices to boosting communication signals—relies on the antennas that transmit electromagnetic waves becoming increasingly versatile, durable and easy to manufacture. Researchers at Drexel University and the University of British Columbia believe kirigami, the ancient Japanese art of cutting and folding paper to create intricate... Read more

Ka-band metasurface antennas, with their low-cost, low-profile design and superior beam-steering capabilities, show significant potential in the field of satellite communications. However, the constraints of limited satellite resources and significant atmospheric losses at Ka-band frequencies require these antennas to achieve wide-angle beam scanning capabilities and high antenna gain, adding considerable... Read more

An international research team led by the Photonic Network Laboratory of the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology demonstrated a coherent optical fiber communication system with a total transmission capacity of 336 Tb/s. The system uses a single light source combined with optical comb generation and frequency reference distribution,... Read more

Increasingly occurring GPS jamming in Finland disrupts daily civilian activities, posing major navigational challenges. A new patented method using low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites and massive multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antennas addresses these location vulnerability issues, presenting means for precise navigation even where traditional global navigation satellite systems (GNSS)... Read more

Some Verizon customers across the U.S. were hit by a service outage Monday.... Read more

DirecTV is buying Dish and Sling, a deal it has sought to complete for years, as the company seeks to better compete against streaming services that have become dominant.... Read more

A federal multibillion-dollar effort that subsidized internet service providers to bring broadband to underserved areas has provided much-needed high-speed internet to some of the country's remote and rural areas. However, according to UC Santa Barbara researchers, once the federal subsidies ended, so did much of the service.... Read more