TERA6G: Reconfigurable Transceivers Reaching into the Millimeter-Wave Range

There is growing interest in frequencies in the vicinity of 100 GHz due to the continual evolution of wireless communications towards higher capacity. Within this frequency range, networks can support greater spectral bandwidth for high-speed and low latency communications to meet the explosive demand of bandwidth hungry applications related to the use of mobile devices with high-definition video as well as latency sensitive applications for the autonomous vehicle ecosystem. The networks are undergoing structural evolutions towards cell densification, unlocking higher spectrum bands in the millimeter-wave range and by developing open, virtualized and interoperable mobile networks enabled by reconfigurable devices. Addressing these questions is the European Project TERA6G, focused on the objective to unlock the Fiber-over-the-air Concept, enabling wireless links with Terabit-per-second data throughput capacity through photonic-based wireless transceivers based on hybrid photonic integration technology. TERA6G modules frequency agility and beam scalability will be exploited allowing their management as part of network slicing functionality aiming at dynamic automated management of multi-beam wireless system resources, fully programmable end-to-end orchestrated communication networks.