China has claimed to have surpassed SpaceX's Starlink in achieving a high-resolution space-to-ground laser transmission in what is believed to be 6G technology, according to a report in the South China Morning Post (SCMP). Commercial satellite company Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co. declared it had successfully transmitted data at 100 gigabits per second (Gbps) from one of its Jilin-1 constellation satellites to a truck-mounted ground station. This speed is believed to be ten times faster than its previous record.
Although it is not official that Starlink is developing 6G technology, Wang Hanghang, head of laser communication ground station technology, claimed that it had eclipsed the Elon Musk-owned company.
"Musk's Starlink has revealed its laser inter-satellite communication system but hasn't deployed laser satellite-to-ground communication yet. We think they might have the technology, but we've already started large-scale deployment," said Mr Wang, adding that his company aims to deploy all satellites in the Jilin-1 constellation by 2027.
The 100Gbps transmission rate translates into transmitting 10 full-length movies in just one second or upgrading a single-lane highway to thousands of lanes, as per Mr Wang.
Previously, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and NASA's TeraByte InfraRed Delivery (TBIRD) system have also achieved laser transmission in upwards of 100Gbps. However, as per Mr Wang, the payload of his system is larger and heavier, weighing at 20 kg.
Additionally, instead of an observatory, the "ground receiving unit is truck-based, making it mobile - an option that could lead to faster applications".
What is 6G?
6G refers to the sixth generation of wireless communication technology, Currently, 5G is the fastest iteration of the technology but 6G aims to be a more integrated network that will likely combine terrestrial, aerial, and satellite communications for universal coverage.
With data speeds exceeding 1 Tbps and latency as low as 100 microseconds, 6G will likely operate on higher frequency bands than 5G, including the terahertz (THz) spectrum.
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China's tech jump
The report comes a day after Beijing claimed it had developed the world's first mobile 5G base station that is ready for deployment in battlefield conditions -- offering high-speed, ultra-secure, and low-data transmissions for up to 10,000 users within a three-kilometer radius.
Jointly developed by China Mobile Communications Group and the People's Liberation Army (PLA), the latter claims to have tested the technology even when the military units were moving at speeds of 80km/h through urban or mountainous terrains and under electromagnetic interference.
