3D-printed radio antennas could bring 5G and 6G to remote communities

University of Sheffield researchers have developed 3D-printed radio antennas that could be used to bring the fastest mobile phone networks to people living in remote areas for the first time. 3D-printed millimetre wave aerials are much quicker and cheaper to produce than those currently used by the telecommunications industry, but have the same level of performance Development could help to drive innovation, speed up the production of new prototypes and make it easier to roll out new 5G and 6G infrastructure both in the UK and around the world - 3D-printed radio antennas that could help bring stronger mobile phone signals and faster Internet connections to people living in remote communities, have been developed by researchers at the University of Sheffield. The millimetre wave (mmWave) aerials, which have been designed, made and tested by researchers from the University's Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, have radio frequency performance that matches those produced using conventional manufacturing techniques. The 3D-printed antennas could speed up the development of new 5G and 6G infrastructure as well as help to open up access to the technologies for people living in remote areas, both in the UK and around the world. Antennas currently used to build telecommunication networks are typically slow and costly to manufacture. This is hindering innovation, delaying the development of prototypes and making it difficult to build new infrastructure. The researchers at Sheffield have developed a new design that enables radio antennas to be made much cheaper and faster using 3D printing without compromising on performance.