5G is attracting attention as a technology that symbolizes the arrival of a new era.
AGC's materials and technologies support high-speed, high-capacity 5G communications in unseen areas.
Question1What is 5G?
5G refers to the fifth generation mobile communication system and is a communication standard used for cell phones and other communications. Compared to 4G,which has been used until now, 5G is said to be advantageous for high-capacity communications and the use of high-definition images and video.
In addition, many terminals can be connected simultaneously, and its use in the IoT field, such as equipment monitoring and smart cities, is being considered. In addition, the delay in communication will be shortened, enabling near real-time communication, which is expected to be used in automated driving control and VR/AR, where quick feedback is required. For example, automated driving and telemedicine, in which doctors and patients receive medical treatment at a distance from each other, are expected to change our lives significantly.
Question2Is 5G already widespread?
5G commercial services in Japan have already started and are beginning to spread in earnest. However, it is said that there are several issues that need to be addressed.
5G radio waves, which use a high frequency band, have high loss during transmission and high linearity, making it difficult for them to go around obstacles and penetrate into buildings. In addition, because the range of the radio waves is narrow, it is said that many base stations and antennas will be needed to cover a wide area.
Therefore, AGC materials and technologies are now attracting attention in the spread of 5G.
Question3Why are AGC's materials and technologies attracting so much attention?
AGC makes special materials that can solve 5G issues, such as fluoropolymers used in buildings and airplanes, synthetic quartz glass used in semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and CCL (copper-clad substrate), the base material for PCBs (printed circuit boards). These materials have very low transmission loss at the high frequency signals of 5G, and are attracting attention as optimal materials for antennas and other devices used in 5G communications.
In addition, AGC has many years of experience in the development of automotive glass antennas, and its antenna design technology, which began in the 1970s with the development of antennas for radios, is now being researched and developed globally at three bases in Japan, the U.S., and Europe.
Question4For example, what is it going to be used for?
We are currently developing transparent and bendable antennas that save space and blend into the space.
Window glass, utility poles, walls, and any other location can be transformed into antennas for 5G communication base stations, enabling stable 5G communications.
We are also developing various other 5G antennas for connected cars, transparent film 5G antennas for smartphones, and peripheral components for antennas that make it easier for 5G signals to reach our surroundings.
By combining special materials suitable for 5G with outstanding antenna design technology, AGC will contribute to the construction of 5G networks in a variety of ways.
The day when our lives will be transformed may be just around the corner.
