Engineering 5G

How do we make sure that Canadians will have excellent 5G wireless coverage everywhere? The higher frequency spectrum needed for 5G doesn't pass through doors or even trees like todays mobile signals do. So what can we do about it? Canada's Communications Research Centre has found a cool solution. Check out this short animated video to find out what it is.

Transcript: Engineering 5G

Visual

Text: Engineering 5G

Mobile networks today give you blazing speeds anytime, anywhere.

Road appears with wireless devices, like radios, TVs, tablet and laptops, travelling along it

Well, almost anywhere...

Mobile user in a forest at night trying to get signal, yellow eyes are staring from under the trees

(sound of crickets)
But in the near future, as billions of new devices become connected, we'll need to open new, higher frequency spectrum to keep up.

Road with buildings in background, sine waves travelling along road

New red sine wave is added higher up than the others

Unfortunately, these frequencies can't easily go through walls, doors, or trees like the ones we use today...
How do we stay on top of this?

Scene changes to a road with houses and red sine waves, representing 5G spectrum, are hitting houses and trees

One solution would be to install transmitters everywhere...

Many transmitters appear along the road with houses

... but we've come up with something a lot cooler to improve 5G coverage!
Something our scientists at the Communications Research Centre are calling "engineered surfaces". So what are they?... and what do they do?

Researchers in the laboratory with equipment

Text: 5G Coverage with Engineered Surfaces

Image of engineered surface – small sheets of printable electronics

Well, think of the window of a microwave oven: it keeps the microwaves in to heat your food, and lets light waves out so you can see inside.

Kitchen scene with microwave on a counter, producing two different waves, one that stays in and another that comes out

Image of engineered surfaces roll in from left side

Similarly, 5G engineered surfaces use printed patterns to redirect wireless signals
in any direction to reach even the most remote corners.

5G waves reach a man in the bathtub getting wireless signal

These low-cost printed electronics can be integrated into wallpaper, curtains…

5G waves bouncing off walls and curtains in the living room of a house

A cat jumps onto the couch

(sound of cat meow)
…billboards, as well as building materials, for the best 5G coverage in the office and on the street,…

Signal bounces off a billboard and a woman has 5G coverage

…making sure all Canadians can get 5G connected anytime, anywhere.

Scene zooms out to show many people in the park enjoying good 5G coverage

Communications Research Centre – finding what is possible... and what works!

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