BEIJING, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News / WAM – 21st Mar, 2026) A research team from China has made significant advancements in wireless communication technology, enabling simultaneous support for a range of networks from 2G to 6G. This innovative approach allows for the miniaturisation of base stations, reduces power consumption by more than tenfold, and provides essential hardware for cutting-edge applications such as embodied intelligence and satellite communications, as outlined in a recent study published in the journal Nature Photonics.
The increasing demands for data communication have prompted a swift evolution of network technologies, transitioning from 2G to 6G. Historically, each generation of network has required specific hardware tuned to particular frequencies, leading to considerable hardware redundancy and burdening existing infrastructure.
Researchers from Peking University’s School of Electronics have introduced a unified hardware platform designed to eliminate the barriers between various network generations. Unlike traditional solutions, this new platform employs light as the transmission medium, allowing for the modulation of wireless signals on optical modules. This breakthrough facilitates the stable and simultaneous generation of a vast array of wireless channels.
With this pioneering platform, the team has achieved the world’s first capacity for parallel support across all generations of wireless communications, from 2G to 6G, using a highly integrated device. “Networks from 2G to 6G are akin to different vehicles using separate lanes. Now we have unified the lanes, enabling all vehicles to travel on the same road,” explained Chang Lin, a researcher from the School of Electronics.
In addition to this technology, the team has developed a structured microwave communication and sensing integrated system. Experimental results indicate that this system achieves information transmission speeds that are 30 times faster than conventional methods within 6G network communications.
The researchers anticipate that this new technology will facilitate extensive connectivity for the Internet of Everything, significantly reduce network latency, and effectively bridge the gap between computing power and terminal devices. Furthermore, it holds promise for providing the foundational hardware support necessary for latency-sensitive applications, including AI agents, embodied intelligence, and satellite communications.