Nokia announced a significant breakthrough in wireless communications, achieving the first-ever full duplex transmission for wireless backhaul and fronthaul. This advancement is expected to play a crucial role in the evolution towards 6G and the development of spectrum beyond 100GHz. Operators worldwide have expressed the need for greater spectral efficiency, and Nokia’s innovative approach addresses this demand by enabling simultaneous transmission and reception of signals over a single channel, doubling the capacity of traditional frequency division duplexing (FDD) systems.
Using the D-Band spectrum (130 to 175 GHz) and Nokia’s Wavence Ultra-Broadband Transceiver (UBT) radio, this pioneering technology has demonstrated an impressive 10+10 Gbps capacity—10 Gbps for both uplink and downlink—over a single 2GHz channel. Full duplex technology not only enhances spectral efficiency by 100% but also offers several benefits over traditional line of sight (LoS) MIMO systems, including increased energy efficiency, significant cost savings, and simplified deployment.
Key Points
- Milestone: First-ever full duplex wireless transmission for fixed point-to-point links. Spectrum Used: D-Band (130 to 175 GHz).
- Technology: Nokia’s Wavence Ultra-Broadband Transceiver (UBT) radio. Capacity: 10+10 Gbps over a single 2GHz channel.
- Spectral Efficiency: Enhanced by 100% compared to current systems. Energy Efficiency: 100% increase.
- Cost Savings: Up to 50% reduction in hardware requirements.
- Deployment: Simplified, requiring only a single part number for all use cases.
- Impact on Operators: More efficient spectrum use, reduced energy and capital expenditures, and simplified operations.
- Impact on Subscribers: More reliable and faster services supporting next-gen wireless applications towards 6G.
The announcement is discussed in a blog posting by Giuseppe Targia, who heads Nokia Microwave & Space and Defense.