Recently, AGC announced that they have achieved what is believed to be the world’s first 5G mobile telecommunications using an antenna embedded in synthetic fused silica glass to transmit and receive 28 GHz 5G radio signals for stable, high-speed mobile communication in buildings, vehicles and trains.

The antenna embedded in synthetic fused silica glass was used to verify 28 GHz 5G mobile communication with downlink speeds averaging 1.3 Gbps within a 100-meter range. The verification tests, which used a vehicle fitted with multiple antennas and traveling about 30 km/h, were conducted in the Sumida area of Tokyo.

5G radio signals in the 28 GHz band are seriously weakened when they pass through car windows to the interior. In addition, radio waves from urban 5G base stations reach the vehicle from various directions. The new AGC glass antennas were therefore used in multiple positions on the test vehicle including the windshield, side windows and rear window. The tests confirmed that these antennas switch seamlessly as the car moves, enabling 5G data to be transmitted and received in ideal directions with maximum signal strength and stability.

In addition, these 5G glass antennas are very small and transparent, allowing them to be fitted discreetly, without spoiling the vehicle’s appearance or the passengers’ line of vision.