NTT DoCoMo announced on the 17th that it has developed the world’s first antenna that can build a communication area around it just by placing it near the cable, and succeeded in a demonstration experiment in the 60 GHz band. The company has an online event “docomo Open House ’22” (
From the first half of 2022, the company started verification of the construction of a communication area with the same antenna in the 28GHz band (millimeter wave) used for 5G services, aiming for practical use, and will continue to be flexible and efficient in the high frequency band. Through the development of area-making tools that can build communication areas for 5G, we will expand the usage scene of 5G and promote research and development for 6G.
This time, even if the dielectric waveguide, which is a cable (transmission line) that propagates high frequency band radio waves, is embedded in the floor, wall, ceiling, or furniture, a communication area is constructed simply by placing it near the embedded dielectric waveguide. By developing a new antenna that can be used and utilizing this antenna, it is possible to construct a fine high frequency band area without degrading the appearance of the dielectric waveguide even in an environment with many obstacles.
This antenna utilizes the physical phenomenon that radio waves leak from the contact point by contacting a small piece of plastic with a dielectric waveguide, which is a cable (transmission line) that propagates radio waves in the high frequency band. A demonstration experiment was conducted by placing the same antenna (small piece of plastic) on the board on which the radio wave was embedded.
As a result, a communication area can be constructed around the 60GHz band, and if the same antenna is placed at multiple locations at the same time, a communication area can be constructed at multiple locations at the same time. It means that we have confirmed that we can control the range and direction of the area.
The antenna can also stop the leakage of radio waves by moving it away from the dielectric waveguide, which will lead to more efficient use of energy by reducing unnecessary power radiation. In addition, the company has been developing an antenna that can build a communication area by simply pinching the cable with a small piece of plastic using the same principle.
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