This report has been updated. Click here to view latest edition.

If you have previously purchased the archived report below then please use the download links on the right to download the files.

6G Communications Market, Devices, Materials 2021-2041

Terahertz, intelligent reprogrammable surfaces, HEMT, WIET, FSO, fronthaul, backhaul, solar drones, solar airships, LEO satellites, battery elimination, energy harvesting, metamaterials, metasurfaces, graphene, lll-V, SiGe, SiC, LCP, 5G transition


Show All Description Contents, Table & Figures List Pricing Related Content
One billion dollars hit the table in 2020 to kick start 6G communications. As the new IDTechEx report, "6G Communications Market, Devices, Materials 2021-2041" explains, it was concerned with hardware as much as software. That will continue as funding escalates to widespread deployment around 2030. New generations come about every ten years but this one is different. Effectively instant transfer of the finest image detail, working high aloft and underwater and internet to everyone are only a part of the objective. A better smartphone and smart watch arrive but not as the main advance.
 
For the first time, 6G will provide power with the signal so batteryless devices arrive. The Internet of Things IoT moves from puffed to possible in billions, nodal energy harvesting moving from hopeless to adequate. With 6G, for the first time, sensing, positioning and distributed intelligence are central to the basic concept and design.
 
Much of the essential new hardware needed does not exist. Think software-programmable metasurfaces, adequate THz transistors and solar drones in the stratosphere for five years at a time. Tens of thousands of extra low-orbit satellites must be deployed but this is a battle for national supremacy. Consequently, tens of billions of dollars will be invested by governments and companies to create the trillions of dollars of possible benefits. Added-value material suppliers will see graphene and metamaterials become very important for thermal, optical, electrical and electronic functions. Widely useful in 5G, lll-V compounds will become even more important. What else? Billions of dollars of devices and materials business await.
 
"6G Communications Market, Devices, Materials 2021-2041" looks at the overall 6G systems, players and rationale and only here can you learn the device and materials opportunities arising. Unique are a new 2021-2041 6G roadmap of frequency decisions, component breakthroughs and key initiatives ahead, the transition from 5G and background market forecasts. The work has been carried out by IDTechEx PhD level analysts worldwide interviewing in local languages and building on the analysis in their best-selling reports on 5G. The emphasis is commercial not historical or academic. The presentation is mainly in the form of easily-absorbed new infographics, tables, photographs and graphs.
 
The Executive Summary and Conclusions is sufficient for those wanting the quick read. Here is the big picture and 14 primary conclusions overall from our analysis of the research and what is technically needed and achievable. Then come 10 primary conclusions about 6G materials, a 2021-2041 roadmap and background forecasts. The Introduction then covers definitions, context, intentions, challenges-that-are-opportunities and then basics of some of the key materials.
 
Chapters 3, through 6 cover key devices and equipment for 6G. The essential intelligent reconfigurable surfaces/ software-controlled metasurfaces come first. Next is provision of device power by Wireless Information and Energy Transmission WIET, energy harvesting and 6G impact on sensing. Then come optical devices and THz antennas for 6G and then THz transceivers, transistors, diodes, emitters. Chapter 6 assesses widest-area backhaul/ fronthaul in the form of solar HAPS drones including inflatables plus LEO & GEO satellites.
 
Chapters 8 through 10 concern most of the key functional materials for 6G, others having been already covered in earlier chapters. Here are a chapter on graphene for 6G, then lll-V and SiGe then polymers and low loss materials including liquid crystal and fluoropolymers. Chapter 11 explains 5G and its transition to 6G and Chapter 12 gives some company profiles.
Analyst access from IDTechEx
All report purchases include up to 30 minutes telephone time with an expert analyst who will help you link key findings in the report to the business issues you're addressing. This needs to be used within three months of purchasing the report.
Further information
If you have any questions about this report, please do not hesitate to contact our report team at research@IDTechEx.com or call one of our sales managers:

AMERICAS (USA): +1 617 577 7890
ASIA (Japan): +81 3 3216 7209
EUROPE (UK) +44 1223 812300
Table of Contents
1.Executive summary and conclusions
1.1.Purpose of this report
1.2.Purpose of 6G
1.3.Desired 6G capabilities: frequency, data rate, latency, ubiquity
1.4.Potential applications of 6G
1.5.Possible 6G architectures
1.6.Probable 6G timing to 2045
1.7.Problems that are opportunities
1.8.The case against 6G
1.9.Primary conclusions
1.9.1.Conclusions: National importance and timing
1.9.2.Conclusions: Frequency
1.9.3.Conclusions: Technology
1.9.4.Conclusions: Materials
1.10.6G and RIS roadmap 2021-2041
1.11.Market forecasts
1.11.1.6G smartphones 2021-2041
1.11.2.Terahertz equipment market before 6G arrives
1.11.3.5G mobile shipment units 2018-2030
1.11.4.5G Power amplifier and beamforming component forecast
1.11.5.5G Semiconductor forecast (2020-2030) for power amplifiers (GaN, LDMOS, SiGe/Si) by die area
1.11.6.2019 shipment of 5G smartphone by vendors
1.11.7.Shipment of 5G customer promised equipment and hotspots by units 2018-2030
1.11.8.5G Thermal interface material and heat spreader forecast in smartphones by area
1.11.9.5G market forecast for services 2018-2030
1.11.10.5G subscription to mobile service by geography 2018-2030
1.11.11.5G revenue from mobile service by geography 2018-2030
1.11.12.Fixed wireless access service revenue 2018-2030
1.11.13.NB-IoT revenue 2018-2030
1.11.14.NB-IoT module shipment 2018-2030
1.11.15.5G station installation forecast (2020-2030) by frequency
1.11.16.5G station instalment number forecast (2020-2030) by type of cell (macro, micro, pico/femto)
1.11.17.Power amplifier and beamforming component forecast
1.11.18.MIMO size forecast (2020-2030)
1.11.19.5G Antenna elements forecast
1.11.20.5G Antenna PCB material forecast
1.11.21.5G Thermal interface material and heat spreader forecast in smartphones by area
1.11.22.5G Low-loss materials areas forecast by frequency
1.11.23.5G low-loss materials areas forecast by market segments
1.11.24.5G low-loss materials areas forecast by types of materials
1.11.25.5G Low-loss materials forecast by revenue
1.11.26.5G low-loss materials areas forecast base station by frequency
1.11.27.5G low-loss materials areas forecast base station by components
1.11.28.5G low-loss materials areas forecast in CPE and hotspots by material types
2.Introduction
2.1.Definition and context
2.2.Escalating economic and technology impact of 6G
2.3.Optimisation of localization, sensing and communication together
2.4.6G enabling technologies, new application opportunities and technological challenges.
2.5.Almost nothing is decided
2.6.Timing of 6G introduction
2.7.Some consensus on needs and feasibility
2.8.Compromises are inevitable
2.9.Some challenges that are opportunities
2.10.Materials overview
2.11.6G will leverage other terahertz electronics
2.11.1.Overview
2.11.2.Example: Biomedical terahertz imaging and sensing
3.Key devices: Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces / software controlled metasurfaces for 6G
3.1.Terminology and functionality
3.2.Challenges
3.3.Anatomy
3.4.Examples of materials
3.5.Tunability
3.6.CEA-Leti EU Project
4.Key devices: Provision of device power by WIET and energy harvesting, 6G impact on sensing
4.1.Wireless information and energy transfer WIET
4.1.1.Terahertz radiation harvesting generally
4.2.Energy harvesting systems considerations
4.3.Energy harvesting devices and materials for 6G
4.3.1.Overview
4.3.2.Primary conclusions: market and technology dynamics
4.3.3.Primary conclusions: technology specifics
4.3.4.Primary conclusions: Emerging industries
4.3.5.Healthcare
4.3.6.Military, industrial, automotive and aerospace
4.3.7.Multimode harvesting, no battery
4.3.8.Device power harvested and needed in device use with examples
4.3.9.Power range needed
4.3.10.Energy harvesting options to power electronic devices
4.3.11.Most promising future applications by preferred technology
4.3.12.Energy harvesting for electronics forecasts - summary and roadmap 2020-2040
4.3.13.Photovoltaic energy harvesting for electronics: units, unit price, market value 2020-2040
4.3.14.Thermoelectric energy harvesting for electronics: units, unit price, market value 2020-2040
4.3.15.Piezoelectric energy harvesting for electronics: market units, unit price, market value 2020-2040
4.3.16.Triboelectric transducer and self-powered sensors 2020-2040 $ million
4.3.17.Electrodynamic energy harvesting for electronics: units, unit price, market value 2020-2040
4.3.18.Forecast for pico products with integral harvesting
4.3.19.Addressable end uses for energy harvesting for electronics
4.4.Sensing and imaging at higher frequencies and more locations
5.Key devices: FSO, optical devices and THz antennas for 6G
5.1.Fiber optics and Free Space Optical FSO
5.2.Optical devices: LED, LD, PIN photodiode
5.3.Erbium-doped fiber amplifiers EDFA
5.4.Optical transceivers demand increase
5.5.Attempts to limit use of fiber even for 5G
5.6.Long distance 6G links: Free space optical FSO
5.7.New THz antennas for 6G
5.7.1.Overview
5.7.2.Plasmonic antenna improvements
6.Key devices : THz transceivers, sources, transistors, diodes, emitters
6.1.Terahertz transceivers
6.2.Terahertz emitters and detectors
6.3.Terahertz transistors
6.3.1.Overview
6.3.2.InP and GaAs transistors
6.3.3.Schottky diode SiC graphene
7.Long distance backhaul/ fronthaul: solar HAPS drones, LEO & GEO satellites
7.1.Long distance fronthaul/ backhaul aerospace
7.1.1.Long distance options compared
7.1.2.Small tethered and untethered drones
7.1.3.Mei Ying
7.1.4.Tethered drones
7.2.Upper atmosphere drones
7.2.1.Fixed wing
7.2.2.Airbus Zephyr
7.2.3.AVIC China Caihong (Rainbow) CH-T4 and Morning Star
7.2.4.CASIC solar
7.2.5.BAE Systems, UK and Australia Defence PHASA-35
7.2.6.Boeing Aurora Odysseus
7.2.7.NASA Swift solar drone
7.2.8.Luminati Aerospace LLC USA
7.2.9.PC-Aero / Elektra Solar Germany
7.2.10.Inflated HAPS
7.2.11.Thales‐Alenia's Stratobus airship
7.2.12.Why Loon died in 2021
7.3.Satellites
7.3.1.Overview
7.3.2.Low earth orbit LEO
7.3.3.GEO
8.Key materials: Graphene for 6G
8.1.Graphene basics
8.2.Graphene in 6G and THz electronics amplifiers
8.3.Graphene electrically-controlled metasurfaces
8.3.1.Overview
8.3.2.Graphene optically programmed metasurfaces
8.3.3.Graphene metasurface example
8.4.Graphene oscillators and transceivers
8.5.Graphene modulator
8.6.Graphene THz antennas and plasmonics
8.7.Graphenea
9.Key materials: III-V compounds and SiGe in 6G
9.1.lll-V compounds and SiGe for 6G are a natural progression from 5G
9.2.lll-V compounds for 6G
9.3.Materials progress towards 6G THz semiconducting devices
9.4.The terahertz gap
9.5.GaAs and InGaAs
9.6.GaN
9.7.InN
9.8.InP
9.9.5G semiconductors as a comparison
10.Key materials: Polymers and low loss materials and for 6G including liquid crystal and fluoropolymers
10.1.Overview
10.2.Opportunities for low loss materials in mmWave 5G and THz 6G
10.3.Liquid crystal polymers for 6G systems
10.4.Fluoropolymers for THz frequencies
11.5G anatomy and transition to 6G
11.1.5G to 6G transition
11.2.Hardware performance of 5G vs 6G devices
11.3.Device winners and losers in 5G to 6G transition
11.4.Materials winners and losers in 5G to 6G transition
11.5.5G, next generation cellular communications network
12.Company profiles
12.1.1.Ampleon
12.1.2.Analog Devices
12.1.3.AT&T: 5G overview
12.1.4.Avary/ZDT
12.1.5.Career Technology: key supplier for LCP materials
12.1.6.China Mobile: 5G overview
12.1.7.Cree-Wolfspeed
12.1.8.Ericsson: overview
12.1.9.Huawei: Overview
12.1.10.Infineon
12.1.11.Intel: Overview
12.1.12.IQLP
12.1.13.KGK Kyodo Giken Kagaku
12.1.14.KT Corporation: 5G overview
12.1.15.MACOM
12.1.16.MediaTek: 5G overview
12.1.17.Mitsubishi Electric
12.1.18.NEC: 5G overview
12.1.19.Nokia: Overview
12.1.20.Northrop Grumman
12.1.21.NTT docomo: 5G overview
12.1.22.NXP Semiconductor
12.1.23.Ooredoo: 5G overview
12.1.24.Orange: 5G overview
12.1.25.Qorvo
12.1.26.Qualcomm: overview
12.1.27.RFHIC
12.1.28.Samsung: 5G overview
12.1.29.Saudi Telecom Company (STC): 5G overview
12.1.30.SK Telecom: 5G overview
12.1.31.Skyworks Solutions: overview
12.1.32.Sumitomo Electric
12.1.33.SYTECH: LCP FCCL in SYTECH for mmWave 5G
12.1.34.Telefónica: 5G overview
12.1.35.Verizon: 5G overview
12.1.36.Vodafone: 5G overview
12.1.37.ZTE: 5G Overview
 

Report Statistics

Slides 394
Forecasts to 2041
ISBN 9781913899301
 
 
 
 

Subscription Enquiry