Keysight, NTT Achieve 280 Gbps World Record Data Rate with Sub-Terahertz for 6G

Keysight Technologies, in collaboration with NTT and NTT Innovative Devices, announced a groundbreaking world record in data rate achieved using sub-THz frequencies. This milestone was reached with Keysight's Vector Component Analyzer (VCA) in conjunction with NTT’s and NTT Innovative Devices' high-output, wide-bandwidth J-band Indium Phosphide (InP)-based power amplifier (PA). In addition, advanced digital predistortion techniques were employed to mitigate amplifier non-linearities, ensuring robust, high-fidelity signal generation.

The rapid advancement of 6G, AI, and autonomous driving technologies is driving a significant demand for wide bandwidth capabilities offered by sub-THz frequencies for high-speed wireless communication and precision radar sensing. Validating these systems with high-quality modulated signals is essential for development and deployment. However, achieving high-quality signals in the sub-THz range has been challenging due to the complexities of amplifying signals and managing distortion at higher power levels.

The collaboration between Keysight, NTT, and NTT Innovative Devices successfully demonstrated the power amplifier’s effectiveness in the 300-GHz frequency band. Testing confirmed its saturated power level at +9.1 dBm and achieved a 280 Gbps data rate (35 GBaud 256QAM) at 0 dBm power output — the highest data rate reported to date in the 300 GHz band. This significant achievement is largely attributed to Keysight’s Vector Component Analyzer, built on the latest N524XB series PNA-X Microwave Network Analyzers equipped with digital predistortion techniques, which optimized signal integrity and minimized distortion to enable this unprecedented data transmission speed.