News

Super Fast 6G Connectivity Is Closer Than You Think

Samsung’s end-to-end prototype system was able to achieve real-time throughput of 6.2 Gbps over a 15-meter distance.

Published

4 years ago

July 1, 2021

super fast 6g connectivity is closer than you think

Even though 5G smartphones represented just 12 percent of all smartphones sold last year, telcos and researchers are already developing the sixth generation standard for wireless communications technologies, referred to simply as 6G.

Recently, Samsung Electronics in collaboration with the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) have demonstrated a 6G Terahertz (THz) wireless communication prototype, paving the way for peak data rates that are as much as 50 times faster than 5G.

“As we shared in our 6G vision white paper last year, we believe new spectrum opportunities at the THz spectrum will become a driving force of 6G technology,” said Senior Vice President Sunghyun Choi, an IEEE Fellow and Head of the Advanced Communication Research Center at Samsung Research. “This demonstration can be a major milestone in exploring the feasibility of using the THz spectrum for 6G wireless communications.”

Samsung’s end-to-end prototype system was able to achieve real-time throughput of 6.2 Gbps over a 15-meter distance, in part thanks to a precise digital beamforming calibration algorithm that allows for high beamforming gain.

That’s even more than the current 5G record, which was achieved in March of this year by Nikia and Turk Telekom. During their 5G trial, the two companies successfully transferred data across Turk Telekom’s 26Ghz mmWave spectrum at a peak speed of 4.5 Gbps. If everything goes according to plan, the first 6G networks could launch commercially in 2030.

Also Read: Etisalat & Ericsson Join Forces To Deploy 5G High-Band In UAE

Since regular smartphone users don’t really need an absurd amount of bandwidth to enjoy social media, stream high-resolution content, or video-chat with colleagues and friends, it’s likely that the adoption of 6G will be driven mainly by emerging mobile use scenarios, such as virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), the Internet of Things (IoT), and people living in isolated areas where wired internet access isn’t available.

News

AltoVolo Opens Orders For Limited Edition Sigma eVTOLs

Early buyers can now reserve build slots for AltoVolo’s 500-mile hybrid aircraft through a new online configurator.

Published

6 days ago

November 1, 2025

Nour Nasir

AltoVolo

AltoVolo has started taking pre-orders for its first electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, the Sigma, moving the startup closer to commercial rollout. Customers can now secure a build slot with a £860 deposit and customize every detail online — from paintwork to seatbelt stitching. It’s the first configurator of its kind for a civilian eVTOL, mirroring how luxury car brands let clients tailor performance models before production.

The Sigma runs on a hybrid-electric tilting jet system built for long range and low noise. It can travel up to 500 miles at a 220-mph cruise, and is over 80% quieter than a helicopter. The three-seater weighs just 980kg and can maintain stable flight even if one jet fails. Safety systems include triple-redundant controls, thrust-vectoring stability and a ballistic parachute.

“We will be delivering an ultra-refined hybrid electric aircraft,” said founder and CEO Will Wood. “We believe there are thousands of customers for this type of cutting-edge technology”.

The first 100 units will come with exclusive materials and finishes. AltoVolo is also setting up a global service and maintenance network, with early planning for overhaul schedules already underway. The company’s focus on ownership experience echoes its ambition to anchor itself alongside established aviation brands rather than pure tech ventures.

To help new owners train, the company has built a full-scale simulator that replicates the Sigma cockpit in carbon fiber and leather. Pilots can log time toward a license using the system, aligned with the new US MOSAIC rules that ease certification for powered-lift aircraft. Certification work in Europe and the UK continues in parallel, signaling growing international alignment around light sport and eVTOL regulation.

Also Read: Snapchat Opens Qatar Office To Deepen Gulf Presence

Noise inside the cabin has become another design focus. Engineers are refining internal vibration levels and developing a responsive soundscape that shifts with each jet’s power load — part feedback, part theatre.

Urban air mobility projects across the Gulf and elsewhere are pushing regulators and manufacturers to meet in the middle. Dubai, Riyadh and Doha have each outlined plans for air taxi corridors this decade. AltoVolo’s hybrid Sigma, sitting between electric promise and aviation realism, looks built for that middle ground.