IEEE 802.15.3d: First Standardization Efforts for Sub-Terahertz Band Communications toward 6G

With the ratification of the IEEE 802.15.3d amendment to 802.15.3, a first step has been made to standardize consumer wireless communications in the sub-THz frequency band. IEEE 802.15.3d offers switched point-to-point connectivity with data rates of 100 Gb/s and higher at distances ranging from tens of centimeters up to a few hundred meters. In this article, we provide a detailed introduction to IEEE 802.15.3d and the key design principles beyond the developed standard. We particularly describe the target applications and usage scenarios, as well as the specifics of the IEEE 802.15.3d physical and medium access layers. Later, we present the results of the initial performance evaluation of IEEE 802.15.3d wireless communications. The obtained first-order performance predictions show non-incremental benefits compared to the characteristics of the fifth generation wireless systems, thus paving the way toward the sixth generation THz networks. We conclude the article by outlining the further standardization and regulatory activities on wireless networking in the THz frequency band.

Introduction

Directional wireless communications over millimeter-wave (mmWave, 30–300 GHz) bands is one of the most significant novelties introduced in the fifth generation (5G) wireless networks. Adopted by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) for New Radio (NR) technology, mmWave communications at 28 GHz and 73 GHz frequencies with up to 2 GHz of bandwidth allow for the data exchange at rates of several gigabits per second. The initial phase of the standardization process for mmWave NR was finished in 2018, and the first trial deployments have already started to appear in Europe, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.