A topic that is different from the main focus of this blog. But, I think, important.
There is a proposed next standard for wireless networking called 6G, 6th Generation.
The proposal is fairly fresh. It includes frequencies in the millimeter wave and terahertz frequencies. Several resources online highlight a specific feature that is a total invasion of privacy.
Two antennas in the terahertz range can be used in coordination to map organic and inorganic features surrounding the antennas.
A 6G router or 6G phone could be used not only to map your rooms, they can report live on your motions. It can discern the difference between a wood cabinet and the items inside the cabinet, know where you, your children, your firearms, and your valuables are.
I believe this technology needs to be resisted.
<sarcasm on> Surely corporations and governments are trustworthy and would never misuse or abuse such a technology.<sarcasm off>
Some reading:
The first article is a technical article specifically discussing the imaging features of 6G technology.
Shi, T., Chen, Y. & Yao, J. "Seamlessly merging radar ranging and imaging, wireless communications, and spectrum sensing for 6G empowered by microwave photonics." Commun Eng 3, 130 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44172-024-00279-0
Take a look at Figure 5 in the article and realize that these are unrefined demonstrations.
The second article is a trade article touting the benefits of 6G.
Sarah Ellis-Barker "6G (sixth-generation wireless) is the latest advancement in wireless network technology, set..." Hamilton-Barnes.com
from the article:
"Advanced Wireless Sensing Technologies
The extensive frequencies of 6G technology are expected to deliver enhanced throughputs and significantly faster sampling and data rates. As a result, 6G will help drive the progression of advanced wireless sensing technologies, allowing networks to collate signals reflected from objects to create digital equivalents of the physical environment. Combined with AI and ML, this data will provide new insights into the physical world and increase the intellectual capacity of networks."
[Emphasis mine]
Here is a Nokia Bell Labs video on the issue of sensing and imaging in 6G networks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCKQHQY7hMI
Other sources are available.
There are voices who have started to raise cautions about this technology specifically concerning privacy issues.
see Dang, Shuping; Amin, Osama; Shihada, Basem; Alouini, Mohamed-Slim (January 2020). "What should 6G be?". Nature Electronics. 3 (1): 20–29.
