| Project Detail |
Navigating the impeding 6G challenge
Surging data demand, projected to hit 1 Tb/s by 2030, poses a growing challenge for wireless networks, outpacing the capabilities of current 5G technology. While 5G has transformed connectivity, its limited spectral efficiency hinders its ability to efficiently handle the impending data traffic surge. With the support of the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions programme, the ENIOS project will address this challenge. Its aim is to revolutionise 6G technology by delving into STAR-IOSs – Simultaneous Transmitting and Reflecting Intelligent Omni-Surfaces. These surfaces could be game-changers for 6G. ENIOS aims to unravel the electromagnetic intricacies of STAR-IOS communications, paving the way for realistic 6G system design through mathematically grounded models and innovative tools.
Wireless technology has become a fundamental component of human daily life in societies. It is expected that by 2030, the demand for data rates will reach 1 Tb/s due to the increase in simultaneous wireless connections: almost 1000 times more than 5G technology. Although 5G wireless networks are now a reality and, undoubtedly, a transformative factor for both society and the economy by delivering an unprecedented fabric of massive connectivity to millions of users and interconnected devices, they cannot efficiently support such high data traffic in the future due to their limited spectral efficiency (around 30 bps/Hz). To tackle this issue, 6G technology is envisioned to attain spectral efficiencies of around 100 bps/Hz with ultra-low latency to support diverse applications. One of the most promising approaches to enable true Smart Radio Environments with 360º coverage is based on the concept of simultaneous transmitting and reflecting intelligent omni-surfaces (STAR-IOSs). In STAR-IOSs, the incident wireless signals on a patch-array or a metasurface-based structure can be (at the same time) reflected by and transmitted through the STAR-IOS. While STAR-IOS technology has the potential to be a key enabler for new use cases in 6G, it is yet to be understood how its true electromagnetic nature will affect the fundamental limits of STAR-IOS communications and impact their practical applications. |
