NTT DOCOMO, NEC Corporation, and NTT have collectively developed a brand new know-how that permits secure, high-capacity millimeter-wave (mmWave) communications for autos touring at excessive speeds. The know-how, which leverages the 40 GHz band, is seen as a major development towards the 6G period.
The know-how combines distributed MIMO with a way that pre-compensates the transmit frequency and timing of indicators. An illustration trial carried out in March 2026 at Japan’s National Institute for Land and Infrastructure Management confirmed that a number of autos geared up with cell terminals may keep secure communication, reaching a 1.3x enchancment in common throughput in comparison with typical strategies.
In high-frequency band communications like mmWave, high-mobility environments resembling fast-moving vehicles and trains usually undergo from frequent base station switching. This can result in abrupt modifications in Doppler frequency and propagation delay, degrading communication high quality. DOCOMO, NEC, and NTT have been working to deal with these challenges, and in March 2025, they demonstrated a know-how that stabilizes communication for a single high-speed automobile.
The current trial superior this know-how to suppress communication-quality degradation for a number of autos touring at excessive speeds in reverse lanes. Using uplink reference indicators from every automobile, the know-how pre-estimates the suitable transmit frequency and timing for every base-station antenna, pre-compensates every vehicle-specific sign, after which multiplexes the indicators for transmission. This course of stabilizes high-capacity mmWave communications for a number of autos.
The trial concerned two autos touring at 60 km/h in reverse lanes inside a tunnel, the place radio waves replicate and antenna switching happens continuously. The outcomes confirmed that the proposed know-how maintained secure throughput throughout antenna switching, bettering common throughput to 560 Mbps, a 1.3x enhance over the traditional methodology. Additionally, the Fifth-percentile throughput worth improved from 270 Mbps to 480 Mbps, an approximate 1.8x enhance.
This growth marks a significant step towards the real-world deployment of 6G applied sciences. The profitable demonstration paves the best way for purposes resembling immersive in-vehicle XR, real-time translation, and sensor-data coordination for autonomous driving. DOCOMO, NEC, and NTT plan to conduct additional trials in varied real-world environments, together with high-speed railways and arterial roads, to comprehend secure high-capacity communications within the 6G period.
The trial outcomes will likely be exhibited at Wireless Japan × Wireless Technology Park 2026 and Tsukuba Forum 2026, showcasing the potential of mmWave communications in high-mobility environments.