Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have built a wireless transceiver that runs at 140 GHz and can push data at 120 Gbps about 15 gigabytes per second. That’s far beyond what today’s Wi-Fi 7 or 5G mmWave can handle, which peak at 30 Gbps and 5 Gbps respectively. UC Irvine says this could even rival the speeds of fiber connections used in data centers, which typically reach around 100 Gbps.
The team published their findings in the IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, covering both the transmitter and the receiver.
A Smarter, More Efficient Design
High-speed wireless usually burns a lot of power because it relies on digital-to-analog converters. At 120 Gbps, a traditional DAC would use several watts, making it impractical for phones or tablets. UC Irvine avoided that by using three synchronized sub-transmitters, which only require 230 milliwatts. That’s a huge drop in energy consumption.
Lab director Payam Heydari explained that the trick is moving calculations from the digital side into the analog side. This makes the system far more efficient and keeps battery life usable in mobile devices.
The chip itself is built on 22nm fully depleted silicon-on-insulator technology, which is far easier and cheaper to manufacture than the latest 2nm or 18A nodes. That could make scaling production for consumer devices much faster and more affordable.
What This Means for Investors
This isn’t just a lab experiment. There are real market opportunities here.
- Telecom and 6G networks could use this technology to push massive amounts of data without laying more fiber. Regulators and standards bodies are already eyeing the 100 GHz spectrum.
- Consumer electronics like smartphones, tablets, and AR/VR devices could suddenly handle speeds similar to fiber. That could open the door for new applications and services.
- Data centers could reduce cabling and installation costs. Wireless links might replace some fiber or copper runs, saving money and simplifying setup.
- Chipmakers and foundries could benefit from growing demand for analog transceivers built on this FD-SOI technology.
With rising data demand and fiber still expensive to deploy, a fast, low-power wireless alternative could get attention quickly.
Challenges Ahead
The main limitation is range. Current 5G mmWave at 71 GHz covers around 300 meters. At 140 GHz, the distance will be shorter. That means cities could need many small, high-speed sites to make this practical. Data centers and enterprise campuses face fewer challenges, so adoption could start there.
Bottom Line
This transceiver is an important step toward ultra-fast wireless. For investors, it could be a window into a technology that competes with fiber, lowers costs, and fuels new device capabilities. If it scales and the range issue is addressed, it could reshape telecom networks, consumer devices, and data center operations.
