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The Evolution of Wi-Fi 7 (IEEE 802.11be EHT) to Wi-Fi 8 (IEEE 802.11bn UHR)

When I posted about Wi-Fi 8 last year, I didn't realise that Wi-Fi was a popular topic on this blog and not only did it make it to the Top 5 posts , the previous post on Wi-Fi 7 made it too, even though it was posted back in the end of 2020. The paper posted last year has undergone revision and a new version of 'What Will Wi-Fi 8 Be? A Primer on IEEE 802.11bn Ultra High Reliability' is available here . Quoting the abstract:  What will Wi-Fi 8 be? Driven by the strict requirements of emerging applications, next-generation Wi-Fi is set to prioritize Ultra High Reliability (UHR) above all. In this paper, we explore the journey towards IEEE 802.11bn UHR, the amendment that will form the basis of Wi-Fi 8. We first present new use cases calling for further Wi-Fi evolution and associated standardization, certification, and spectrum allocation efforts. We then introduce a selection of the main disruptive features envisioned for Wi-Fi 8 and their associated research challenges, re
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5G NB-IoT NTN Coverage Extension by Sateliot

Sateliot is a 5G NB-IoT NTN (Rel. 17) Coverage Extension satellite operator in SSO Low Earth Orbit for wholesale service to MNO (NB-IoT Coverage Extension). They claims to be the first satellite operator to offer IoT connectivity over standard 5G NB-IoT. According to this presentation , they have been a member of 3GPP since 2019, being, among space companies, the major contributor to the Rel. 17 IoT NTN Study Item. In April 2023, Sateliot successfully launched The GroundBreaker, the first-ever satellite under 5G Standard to Democratize IoT, via SpaceX Falcon 9. The GroundBreaker is the first of a 250 LEO satellite constellation, which will work as cell towers from space. In July 2022, Telefónica announced that it's collaborating with Sateliot through its divisions Telefónica Tech and Telefónica Global Solutions (TGS). The eventual goal being the development of an innovative connectivity service with dual 5G NB-IoT technology in which Sateliot's new satellite network will be

Top 5 Posts for 2023

As per the tradition, here are the top 5 most viewed posts from 2023. These posts were not necessarily posted this year, so I have added the month and year it was posted. Laser Inter-Satellite Links (LISLs) in a Starlink Constellation , Feb. 2022 CSI-RS vs SRS Beamforming , Mar. 2021 IEEE 802.11bn Ultra High Reliability (UHR), a.k.a. Wi-Fi 8 , Mar. 2023 IEEE 802.11be Extremely High Throughput (EHT), a.k.a. Wi-Fi 7 , Nov. 2020 5G NR-NTN Demos make a Debut at MWC 2023 , Mar. 2023 If you had a favourite post, let us know in the comments below. Related Posts :  The 3G4G Blog: Top 10 Blog Posts and Top 5 Videos for 2023 Free 6G Training: Top 10 Posts for 2023 Telecoms Infrastructure Blog: Top 5 Posts For 2023 Operator Watch Blog: Top 5 Posts for 2023 Private Networks Technology Blog: Top 5 Posts for 2023 Connectivity Technology Blog: Top Posts of 2022 Connectivity Technology Blog: Top 5 Posts for 2021 Connectivity Technology Blog: Top 5 Posts for 2020  

KDDI Prepares for Disasters with Vehicle-Mounted Base Stations Backhauled via Starlink

KDDI is a big fan of SpaceX's Starlink satellites. Earlier this year I talked about how it's working to solve rural connectivity issue in Japan with the help of Starlink. In August this year, KDDI signed an agreement with SpaceX to bring Satellite-to-Cellular (Direct-to-Device) service to Japan.  Along with solving the connectivity challenges, KDDI is also looking at Starlink to solve the backhaul challenge in case if disaster strikes that destroys the ground infrastructure. A press release in July detailed this as follows: KDDI and KDDI Engineering will deploy vehicle-mounted base stations and portable base stations that use the satellite broadband service "Starlink" as a backhaul line starting in July 2023, and will deploy approximately 200 base stations, including ship-type base stations, by the end of fiscal 2023. The machines will be introduced nationwide. Through this, we aim to provide customers with high-speed, low-latency au communications even in the even

TechKnowledge Technology Stories - Part 2: Connecting Everything Everywhere…

A few months ago, I started working on TechKnowledge Technology Stories , a series of videos looking at how technology has evolved over the years and how it will continue to evolve in the future. The latest video is looking at connectivity in general. It is embedded below and the slides could be obtained from 3G4G page here . Related Posts :  Connectivity Technology Blog: Introduction to Radar – the Challenges and Opportunities Connectivity Technology Blog: 5G NR (New Radio) for Beginners Connectivity Technology Blog: Almost everything you need to know about Wi-Fi 7 (IEEE 802.11be) Connectivity Technology Blog: 5G Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) for Industrial Communications Connectivity Technology Blog: Cellular Connectivity Technology Landscape and Standards for Industrial IoT Connectivity Technology Blog: Deutsche Bahn to get Seamless Mobile Network Along all Tracks Connectivity Technology Blog: R&S Technical Explainer on 3GPP 5G Non Terrestrial Networks (NTN)  

Li-Fi and Other Visible Light Communications (VLC) Standards

I have been writing about LiFi and other light based communications for a while but it looks like these are finally being standardised and have a potential to be used in commercial devices for communications. The first thing to mention here is that like there are different brand names for Wi-Fi (like Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 6, etc.), we probably need different names for LiFi. In fact I am not even sure if we write LiFi as one word or Li-Fi. LiFi Tech News describes the technologies as follows: ITU-T G.9991 standard is the 1st LiFi standard specifying the system architecture, physical (PHY) layer and data link layer (DLL) for high-speed indoor LiFi transceivers, the LiFi access points within LED and infrared lamps. There are also at least 3 IEEE standards that are being developed to bring LiFi to the mass market. These are the IEEE 802.11bb, IEEE 802.15.7 and IEEE 802.15.13. IEEE 802.11bb defines one medium access control (MAC) and several physical layer (PHY) specifications for wireless conn

Deutsche Telekom Demonstrates 12 Gbps on 5G Using 6 GHz Band

6 GHz band is in demand for possible use with Wi-Fi or Cellular use. The fate of this band will be decided in the upcoming World Radiocommunication Conference 2023 (WRC-23). In the meantime this has provided license to mobile operators to try new things out. Recently in a press release, Deutsche Telekom (DT) announced that they have managed to achieve 12 Gbps+ using carrier aggregation (CA) with 5G licensed band. The following is an extract from their press release : Telekom has set a new world record in mobile radio: In Alzey, a data rate of 12 gigabits per second was measured during tests. Data speed and bandwidth were thus up to twelve times higher than in today's 5G network. These high data rates were made possible by the additional use of the frequency spectrum at 6 gigahertz (6 GHz). These frequencies are not yet available for mobile communications. At the World Radiocommunication Conference in November, the use from 2025 onwards will be discussed. For the test under real con

Softbank's Cylindrical Antenna for HAPS to Reduce Handovers

One of the challenges with HAPS or even tethered balloon is that when the balloon or HAPS turns, the cells change position and this can result in handovers even for users that are stationary. This unnecessary signalling can be reduced, as Softbank explained, with an innovative antenna designed to reduce these. Softbank shared this news last year while its subsidiary HAPS Mobile shared a video here . Quoting from the article: People are able to use their mobile phones when they’re on the move, such as when they’re riding in cars and trains, for example. They can do this thanks to what’s called the “handovers.” In the handover process, when a mobile phone moves further away from a base station and the signal becomes weak, it automatically connects to another base station from which it can receive a stronger signal. With HAPS, the airborne base station moves continuously while the receiver stays stationary, and this causes handovers. A HAPS aircraft delivers network connectivity with rad

'Gigabit Innovation Track' (GINT) Gets Green Light in Germany

Couple of years back I blogged about how Deutsche Bahn and Deutsche Telekom (DT) are radically improving mobile reception on trains in Germany with the expectation that in future, passengers using the DT network will be able to make calls and surf the internet on all routes without interruption – in much better quality than currently available. Now in another announcement , Deutsche Bahn (DB), Ericsson, O2 Telefónica and Vantage Towers have announced that they are working together to develop a solution that would establish an extensive 5G mobile communications infrastructure along train tracks in Germany. The press release said: The new infrastructure will give train passengers gigabit speeds for their telephone and data connections and provide high-performance transmission technology for further digitalizing rail operations. Today the partners received the official word from the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) that they will receive funding to test innovativ

Is LTE Cat 1bis Uniting the Fragmented Cellular IoT Market?

There are just too many options when it comes to IoT. LoRaWAN is probably the winner from the unlicensed camp with plethora of other options also available. On the licensed front while LTE-M and NB-IoT haven't enjoyed the success they were touted to, other cIoT options aren't doing that badly. In their recently released whitepaper entitled, 'Understanding the benefits of LTE Cat 1bis technology', Qualcomm explains: LTE-M and NB-IoT are two IoT-specific standards introduced in 3GPP release 13. They provide low power operation, extended coverage range and low data rate; they are aptly called low-power wide area networking, or LPWAN technologies. In Release 13, LTE Cat 1bis was also added to the standards. Cat 1bis requires one receive- (Rx) antenna, making it easier and cheaper to build devices in smaller form factors. Recently, IoT use cases involving drones and industrial automation have evolved, requiring either higher throughput, lower latency or both. 5G or higher-