Communications

With digital devices powering every aspect of life and business, telecommunications providers are going neck and neck to provide faster internet speeds at scale―using fiber technology as a linchpin.... Read more

Wireless power transfer (WPT) systems transmit electrical energy from a power source to a load without physical connectors or wires, using electromagnetic fields. This idea goes as far back as the 1890s, when Nikola Tesla famously experimented with wireless energy transmission.... Read more

Researchers at EPFL and Harvard University have engineered a chip that can convert between electromagnetic pulses in the terahertz and optical ranges on the same device. Their integrated design could enable the development of devices for ultrafast telecommunications, ranging, spectroscopy, and computing.... Read more

Smartphones must stay connected to mobile networks at all times to function properly. The core component that enables this constant connectivity is the communication modem (baseband) inside the device. KAIST researchers, using their self-developed testing framework called LLFuzz (Lower Layer Fuzz), have discovered security vulnerabilities in the lower layers of... Read more

Researchers from IMDEA Networks, in collaboration with Universidad Carlos III de Madrid, IMDEA Software Institute, and the University of Calgary, have conducted the first large-scale study—"Your Signal, Their Data: An Empirical Privacy Analysis of Wireless-scanning SDKs in Android"—on how certain Android mobile applications use a device's WiFi and Bluetooth connections... Read more

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) is expanding its antenna measurement capabilities with a state-of-the-art spherical near-field antenna range. The 1,260-square-foot indoor range, lined with radio frequency and microwave foam absorbers, is equipped to accurately sample the near field of an antenna. Near-field measurements can be mathematically transformed into far-field data.... Read more

Hi-tech surveillance technologies are a double-edged sword. On the one hand, you want sophisticated devices to detect suspicious behavior and alert authorities. But on the other, there is the need to protect individual privacy. Balancing public safety and personal freedoms is an ongoing challenge for innovators and policymakers.... Read more

The development of more advanced technologies to process radiofrequency signals could further advance wireless communication, allowing devices connected to the internet to share information with each other faster and while consuming less energy. Currently, radio frequency signals are processed using software-defined radios (SDRs), systems that can modulate, filter and analyze... Read more

Up to now, underwater navigation for divers has been limited primarily to orientation at distinctive points or compass navigation. Although there are concepts that, similar to a sonar, are intended to enable position determination using acoustic signal sources, these require a high sound pressure level. This affects the ecosystem and... Read more

In wireless communication, spectrum—radio frequencies that allow devices to communicate over the air—is king.... Read more

Analog repeaters dramatically enhance millimeter-wave (mmWave) coverage in mobile networks by overcoming signal blockage, report researchers from Science Tokyo. As demonstrated in a field experiment at Ookayama Campus, low-cost repeaters connected either wirelessly or via optical fiber offer a promising solution for 5G and 6G networks. Both configurations achieved over... Read more

Just because Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos aren't the best of friends, and Amazon's Project Kuiper will directly compete with SpaceX's Starlink satellites for broadband internet, doesn't mean everyone can't still get along.... Read more

Terahertz frequencies above 100 GHz offer extremely wide bandwidths suitable for next-generation wireless communications, and research toward their practical use is ongoing worldwide. In particular, the 150 GHz and 300 GHz bands are actively being studied in Japan due to their relatively low atmospheric attenuation, which enables stable signal propagation.... Read more

A research team affiliated with UNIST has unveiled a new semiconductor device optimized for the next-generation 6G era and autonomous driving, offering low power consumption and nonvolatile operation. This innovative device can also be integrated into variable filter circuits capable of tuning the central frequency band, paving the way for... Read more

Countries have come to rely on a network of cables and pipes under the sea for their energy and communications. So it has been worrying to read headlines about communications cables being cut and, in one case, an undersea gas pipeline being blown up.... Read more

Imagine a world where every smart device, from traffic sensors to wearable health monitors, can seamlessly communicate. This vision is at the heart of Massive Machine Type Communication (mMTC), a cornerstone of 5G and future 6G mobile networks.... Read more

Deep in Martu Country, the Rawa Community School has a new addition. Perched on the roof is a squat, sealed rectangle. Curved underneath, flat on top and angled toward the sky, it's a sight becoming increasingly familiar in regional Australia: Starlink.... Read more

Li-Fi (Light Fidelity) is a wireless communication technology that utilizes the visible light spectrum (400–800 THz), similar to LED light, offering speeds up to 100 times faster than existing Wi-Fi (up to 224 Gbps). While it has fewer limitations in available frequency allocation and less radio interference, it is relatively... Read more

The QUICK³ nano satellite will test components for future quantum satellite systems. The goal is to enable rapid and secure communication using quantum technology. Developed by a research consortium led by TUM professor Tobias Vogl, the satellite was launched into orbit on Monday, June 23, with a booster rocket from... Read more

In recent days, Iranians experienced a near-complete internet blackout, with local service providers—including mobile services—repeatedly going offline. Iran's government has cited cybersecurity concerns for ordering the shutdown.... Read more

United Launch Alliance took a week to reset, but was able to send up its second launch of the year, another mission for Amazon's effort to compete with SpaceX's Starlink internet constellation. The launch came just hours after SpaceX sent up its 50th rocket from the Space Coast this year.... Read more

From smart grids to the internet of things, the modern world is increasingly reliant on connectivity between electronic devices. Thanks to University of Ottawa researchers, these devices can now be simultaneously connected and powered with a simple optical fiber over long distances, even in the harshest environments.... Read more

A novel time-division MIMO technology enables phased-array receivers to operate faster with exceptional area efficiency and low power, as reported by researchers from the Institute of Science Tokyo. The proposed system significantly reduces circuit complexity for 5G and 6G networks, including non-terrestrial nodes, by reusing signal paths through fast switching.... Read more

Earlier today, Iranian officials urged the country's citizens to remove the messaging platform WhatsApp from their smartphones. Without providing any supporting evidence, they alleged the app gathers user information to send to Israel.... Read more

Number 1519 Connecticut Avenue lies just north of Dupont Circle, just over a 20-minute walk from the White House in Washington DC. In 1921, the inventor Charles Francis Jenkins set up his laboratory and offices there, upstairs from a car dealership.... Read more

Imec researchers have set a new benchmark in RF transistor performance for mobile applications. They present a gallium nitride (GaN) MOSHEMT (metal-oxide-semiconductor high-electron-mobility transistor) on silicon (Si) that achieves both record efficiency and output power for an enhancement-mode (E-mode) device operating at low supply voltage.... Read more

A UBC Okanagan research team has developed an innovative artificial intelligence system that can accurately predict where ships are heading and arriving, potentially helping Canadian ports better prepare for incoming vessels and respond more efficiently to global supply chain disruptions.... Read more

The EU on Tuesday cleared European satellite group SES's $3.1 billion acquisition of US rival Intelsat, a move the company hopes will help it compete in a race for space-based internet services, currently led by Elon Musk's Starlink.... Read more

A team of researchers at NYU Tandon School of Engineering has developed a novel method to detect hidden GPS tracking devices in vehicles, offering new hope to victims of technology-enabled domestic abuse.... Read more

An ultra-compact, low-power 150 GHz radio module enabling high data rates in mobile devices has been developed by researchers from Japan.... Read more

Connectivity is no longer a luxury—it is the backbone of how we live, work and move through the world. From smart homes to wearable tech, we rely on strong, seamless wireless networks. But with traditional radio frequency systems like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth reaching their limits in spectrum and precision, it... Read more

Google signed an agreement with Chile on Wednesday to deploy an undersea fiber optic cable connecting South America with Asia and Oceania, a first-of-its-kind project that aims to cement the South American country's status as a major digital hub.... Read more

Self-driving cars which eliminate traffic jams, getting a health care diagnosis instantly without leaving your home, or feeling the touch of loved ones based across the continent may sound like the stuff of science fiction.... Read more

The Korea Research Institute of Standards and Science has established standards that can reliably verify the performance of Korea's developing 6G low Earth orbit satellite communication system.... Read more

In recent years, the expansion of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite constellations has made satellite communications cool again. From providing internet access in remote regions to enabling near-instant data delivery across oceans, these networks are set to play an even greater role in the years ahead.... Read more

Reports that prominent American national security officials used a freely available encrypted messaging app, coupled with the rise of authoritarian policies around the world, have led to a surge in interest in encrypted apps like Signal and WhatsApp. These apps prevent anyone, including the government and the app companies themselves,... Read more

Newark Liberty International Airport was once again plunged into chaos when radar screens went black on the morning of May 9. It follows a recent disruption in communications with air traffic controllers in Philadelphia, who handle flights in and out of Newark, that caused hundreds of delays and cancellations.... Read more

A team of researchers at Nagoya University has discovered something surprising. If you have two tiny vibrating elements, each one barely moving on its own, and you combine them in the right way, their combined vibration can be amplified dramatically—up to 100 million times.... Read more

A paper published by Swinburne University of Technology shows how a kind of "optical ruler," or frequency comb, can greatly increase bandwidth in today's data-saturated world. Integrated optical frequency comb sources, or microcombs, have driven major advances in spectroscopy, metrology and more. Their potential in data transmission is especially promising,... Read more

Live and on-demand video constituted an estimated 66% of global internet traffic by volume in 2022, and the top 10 days for internet traffic in 2024 coincided with live streaming events such as the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match and coverage of the NFL. Streaming enables seamless, on-demand... Read more

The evolution of wireless communications and the miniaturization of electrical circuits have fundamentally reshaped our lives and the digital landscape. However, as we push toward higher-frequency communications in an increasingly connected world, engineers face growing challenges from multipath propagation—a phenomenon where the same radio signal reaches receiving antennas through multiple... Read more

South Korea's largest carrier SK Telecom started on Monday to replace mobile SIM chips for its 23 million users following a data breach, prompting alarmed customers to form long lines for the replacements.... Read more

Navigating drones in environments without reliable Global Positioning System (GPS) signals remains a significant challenge for modern aerospace technology. A new study addresses methods for Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) localization in GPS-denied areas, exploring both absolute and relative localization techniques.... Read more

A team of researchers at Q-CTRL, a quantum infrastructure software-maker based in Sydney, Australia, has announced the successful demonstration of its newly developed quantum navigation system called "Ironstone Opal."... Read more

The UK government has announced £65 million in funding for a new system called Borealis which is intended to help the UK military defend its satellites against threats. Borealis is a software system that collates and processes data to strengthen the UK military's ability to monitor what's going on in... Read more

Scientists at Lancaster University have studied satellite images of the UK to produce the most accurate assessment yet on how much land solar farms occupy.... Read more

Chinese researchers have unveiled a new deep-sea tool capable of cutting through the world's most secure subsea cables—and it has many in the West feeling a little jittery.... Read more

Researchers from TU/e have transmitted data between the TU/e campus and the High Tech Campus over a 4.6 km distance using infrared light. This happened at the astonishing rate of 5.7 terabits per second, the equivalent of streaming 1.9 million Netflix shows in HD simultaneously. This is the fastest wireless... Read more

The US retail giant Amazon is preparing to launch Wednesday its first full batch of Project Kuiper satellites, marking a crucial milestone in the battle with Elon Musk's Starlink to provide high-speed internet.... Read more

When it comes to upgrading electrical and broadband infrastructure, new research from the University of Massachusetts Amherst shows that a "dig once" approach is nearly 40% more cost effective than replacing them separately.... Read more