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New 6G Networks Are in the Works. Can They Destroy Dead Zones for Good?

4 points by beardyw 3y ago

beardyw 3y ago
"Next-generation 6G technology could “enable applications that we may not even imagine today” Wasn't 5G supposed to to that?
- thelastparadise 3y ago
  > Wasn't 5G supposed to to that? If it's done anything, it has significantly improved ISP options/availability for those that live in rural areas.
deleted 3y ago
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PaulHoule 3y ago
It's good that they realized 'dead zones' are the real problem holding cellular networks back. It doesn't matter if they have an aggregate of 10^18 bits/sec at St. Mark's Place and an unlimited plan that works at the 1% most crowded places in America costs just $0.50 cents if it doesn't work elsewhere. For instance, the telecoms managed to kneecap V2V communications that don't depend on cellular infrastructure. V2V based on cellular infrastructure is a pipe dream, however, because there isn't universal cellular infrastructure where people drive -- if you think so, come with me on a road trip in Upstate NY. It's not just an urban/rural problem, even urban areas have plenty of spots like tunnels and bridges that are dead. Similarly, many organizations that would like to deploy large-scale IoT systems need universal coverage: the model of telecoms so far has been they will collect big $ to serve customers where it is convenient to serve them but customers who fundamentally need it to work throughout a geography can talk to the hand. It's a physics problem however. High frequency radio waves can't penetrate the ground and low frequency radio waves have insufficient bandwidth. Satellite communications can help, but what will the real relationship be with the cellular network? Will satcom provides just give people an end run around hated telecoms or will they just be a "bent pipe" that extends the cellular network? What about those tunnels and places where satellites can't reach? It would be nice if we could make neutrino or gravity wave or dark matter particle or axion radios but... we can't.
tamimio 3y ago
> nonterrestrial networks made up of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites and uncrewed aerial vehicles I get the LEO part, but UAVs?! Unless they mean balloons maybe, I don’t think UAV is any useful, as they cannot be part of an infra.

4 points by beardyw 3y ago

"Next-generation 6G technology could “enable applications that we may not even imagine today” Wasn't 5G supposed to to that?

thelastparadise 3y ago
> Wasn't 5G supposed to to that? If it's done anything, it has significantly improved ISP options/availability for those that live in rural areas.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

PaulHoule 3y ago

It's good that they realized 'dead zones' are the real problem holding cellular networks back. It doesn't matter if they have an aggregate of 10^18 bits/sec at St. Mark's Place and an unlimited plan that works at the 1% most crowded places in America costs just $0.50 cents if it doesn't work elsewhere. For instance, the telecoms managed to kneecap V2V communications that don't depend on cellular infrastructure. V2V based on cellular infrastructure is a pipe dream, however, because there isn't universal cellular infrastructure where people drive -- if you think so, come with me on a road trip in Upstate NY. It's not just an urban/rural problem, even urban areas have plenty of spots like tunnels and bridges that are dead. Similarly, many organizations that would like to deploy large-scale IoT systems need universal coverage: the model of telecoms so far has been they will collect big $ to serve customers where it is convenient to serve them but customers who fundamentally need it to work throughout a geography can talk to the hand. It's a physics problem however. High frequency radio waves can't penetrate the ground and low frequency radio waves have insufficient bandwidth. Satellite communications can help, but what will the real relationship be with the cellular network? Will satcom provides just give people an end run around hated telecoms or will they just be a "bent pipe" that extends the cellular network? What about those tunnels and places where satellites can't reach? It would be nice if we could make neutrino or gravity wave or dark matter particle or axion radios but... we can't.

tamimio 3y ago

> nonterrestrial networks made up of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites and uncrewed aerial vehicles I get the LEO part, but UAVs?! Unless they mean balloons maybe, I don’t think UAV is any useful, as they cannot be part of an infra.