NTT DOCOMO has released a white paper on the topic of 6G, the sixth-generation mobile communications system that the company aims to launch on a commercial basis by 2030. It incorporates DOCOMO’s views in the field of 5G evolution and 6G communications technology, areas that the company has been researching since 2018.

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The white paper summarizes the related technical concepts and the expected diverse use cases of evolving 5G and new 6G communication technologies, as well as the technology components and performance targets.

Mobile communication systems typically evolve into the next generation over a period of roughly ten years; DOCOMO commenced its research into the commercial launch of 5G in 2010. In 2018, the company conducted successful radio wave propagation experiments at frequencies of up to 150 GHz, levels which are expected to enable the much faster and larger-capacity communications that 6G will require.

• DOCOMO will continue to enhance the ultra-high-speed, large-capacity, ultra-reliable, low-latency and massive device-connectivity capabilities of 5G technology. It will continue its research into and development of 5G evolution and 6G technology, aiming to realize technological advances including:
  • the achievement of a combination of advances in connectivity, including ultra-high speed, large capacity and low latency
  • the pioneering of new frequency bands, including terahertz frequencies
  • the expansion of communication coverage in the sky, at sea and in space
  • the provision of ultra-low-energy and ultra-low-cost communications
  • the ensuring of highly reliable communications
  • the capability of massive device-connectivity and sensing

Visitors to DOCOMO Open House 2020 will be able to view conceptual displays incorporating DOCOMO’s vision of the evolution of 5G technologies into 6G. The event will take place in the Tokyo Big Sight exhibition complex in Tokyo on January 23 and 24. DOCOMO also plans to hold a panel session entitled “5G Evolution and 6G” on January 24.

Going forward, DOCOMO will promote cooperation among government, industry and academia as well as diverse stakeholders, and will continue to research and develop its technology in order to facilitate the further evolution of mobile communications.

DOCOMO Achieves World’s First 5G Communication Between High-speed Bullet Train and Experimental Base Stations

Ultra-high-speed data and high-quality video were transmitted successfully between a 5G experimental mobile terminal, installed in a test version of an N700S-model Shinkansen railcar traveling at 283 km/h, and 5G experimental base stations erected temporarily along the Tokaido Shinkansen tracks.

The Tokaido Shinkansen is the major transportation corridor in Japan, connecting the metropolises of Tokyo, Nagoya and Osaka, and it is the longest-running Shinkansen line, having opened as the world’s first high-speed railway on October 1, 1964. Since its opening, the Tokaido Shinkansen has been used by about 5.6 billion people and has supported Japan’s economic growth. The N700S used in the trial is JR Central’s next-generation Shinkansen model that will launch commercially in Japan in 2020.

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