Significant advances in D-band wireless communications were achieved through joint Anritsu and VTT demonstrations, highlighting the real-world feasibility of very high frequency wireless links.
This project will validate that D-band technology can provide stable, high-capacity performance suitable for future backhaul, industrial connectivity, defense systems, and emerging 6G networks.
Jonathan Boril, CTO of Anritsu’s Test and Measurement Division, commented:
“Together, we validated the performance levels that bring high-frequency wireless links closer to real-world deployments.”
Understand the role of D-band in future networks
D-band spans frequencies from approximately 110 GHz to 170 GHz, providing significantly greater contiguous bandwidth than today’s 5G mmWave spectrum.
This makes it a strong candidate for ultra-high capacity wireless links where fiber deployment is impractical or costly.
Higher frequencies bring challenges such as increased propagation loss, but advances in antenna technology and signal processing have enabled reliable short- and medium-range links.
Verify multi-gigabit performance with system-level tests
The joint tests focused on wireless links operating between 110 GHz and 170 GHz and were evaluated under realistic wireless conditions rather than in a controlled laboratory setup.
Using wideband modulated signals with bandwidths up to 8 GHz, the team evaluated end-to-end performance from signal generation to reception.
The results demonstrated multi-gigabit data rates in the tens of gigabits/second range, including 20 Gbps over short distances and reliable operation over several meters.
This system-level validation establishes a new reference point for practical D-band wireless communications.
Electronically steerable transmit array design
A key element of the demonstration was a small, lightweight transmitting array antenna developed by VTT. The antenna integrates an advanced phase-shifting element and a vector modulator MMIC to enable high-speed electronic beam steering without the need for mechanical motion.
This design allows precise control of the radio beam while maintaining link stability under changing conditions.
The scalable architecture is particularly suited for dense backhaul deployments and dynamic industrial environments where rapid beam adaptation is essential.
Tauno Vaha Heikkila, Director of Strategic Partnerships at VTT, added: “This milestone demonstrates how strategic partnerships can turn deep technology into a competitive advantage.
“VTT’s steerable transmission array expertise combined with Anritsu’s precise instrumentation-grade validation will shorten adoption cycles, extend D-band from the lab to live networks, and create growth opportunities across critical infrastructure, manufacturing, defense, 6G and more.”
Preparing for industry trials and deployment
Having proven feasibility at the system level, Anritsu and VTT plan to work with industry partners to explore use cases and prepare the technology for field trials.
The results represent an important step toward integrating D-band wireless communications into future network architectures and accelerating progress toward 6G.
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