Chinese researchers invent new communication tech supporting 2G to 6G networks

A Chinese research team has pioneered a novel wireless communication technology that simultaneously supports networks ranging from 2G to 6G. It enables base station miniaturization, reduces power consumption by over tenfold, and provides hardware support for frontier applications such as embodied intelligence and satellite communications, according to a study published recently in the journal Nature Photonics.

The ever-growing demands for data communication have accelerated the rapid evolution of networks, transitioning from 2G to 6G. However, each generation of network has required dedicated, frequency-specific hardware, a stacking approach that has burdened infrastructure with severe hardware redundancy.

Researchers from Peking University’s School of Electronics have proposed a unified hardware platform to break down barriers between network generations. In contrast to conventional solutions, the new platform uses light as the medium, modulating wireless signals on optical modules to stably and simultaneously generate massive numbers of wireless channels.

With this groundbreaking platform, the team has achieved the world’s first parallel support for all generations of wireless communications, from 2G to 6G, on a highly integrated device.

“Networks from 2G to 6G are like different vehicles using separate lanes. Now we’ve unified the lanes, so all vehicles can travel on the same road,” said Chang Lin, a researcher from the School of Electronics.

Based on this technology, the team also developed a structured microwave communication and sensing integrated system. Experiments showed that this system achieves total information transmission speeds 30 times faster than conventional approaches in 6G network communications.

Researchers said this new technology is expected to drive massive connectivity for the Internet of Everything, significantly reduce network latency, and bridge the gap between computing power and terminal devices. It can also provide the underlying hardware support for latency-sensitive applications such as AI agents, embodied intelligence, and satellite communications.