6G in Canada: Terahertz research drives early work

While Canada expands its 5G network, experts are developing the next generation's defining tech behind the scenes.

Last year, the Government of Canada announced the National Research Council's High-throughput and Secure Networks (HTSN) Challenge program.

At its core, the research is about expanding the usable telecom spectrum. Existing wireless networks operate in relatively well-established frequency bands, which are becoming increasingly crowded as more devices come online. Terahertz (THz) frequencies lie higher in the spectrum, between microwaves and infrared light, offering the potential for significantly greater bandwidth.

Angela Gamouras of the NRC's Quantum and Nanotechnologies Research Centre has been working on this technology for the past seven years. It is expected to be ready in five to 10.

Based within the organisation's quantum physics group, her work sits at the intersection of communications engineering and fundamental physics, reflecting both the ambition and uncertainty surrounding early-stage 6G technologies.

Gamouras' research is part of a collaboration with the University of Ottawa through a joint photonics centre, where teams are developing receiver technologies to detect THz signals. While the work is technically complex, its premise is straightforward: future telecommunications systems will require more bandwidth than existing spectrum can provide.

That additional bandwidth could translate into faster data transfer and lower latency. But accessing it requires new types of devices.

"One of the advantages of 6G is that it's accessing a part of the wireless spectrum that we don't currently use. Of course, we all have our cell phones, and our toasters are connected to the internet now. But we always need more bandwidth because everything is connected online, and we all want to transfer data and communicate as fast as possible," said Gamouras. "So there's a latency issue. One way to overcome that would be to access a frequency band that's technically not being used yet for communications. And so that's this THz."

Ahmad Husseini, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at Ericsson Canada, told TechDay Canada that 6G should be framed as a continuation of existing networks. "6G will absolutely build on 5G-Advanced. It is an evolution, not a reset," he said, underscoring that current investments in 5G infrastructure, particularly 5G-Advanced, are laying the groundwork for the next generation.

The sixth generation of telecommunications is definitely in development, with 180 million global subscribers forecasted for 2031, according to Ericsson's Global Mobility Report. In Canada, Ericsson is working with local talent at three R&D labs in Montreal, Ottawa and Mississauga, Ont.

Standardisation is a priority at Ericsson in the development process. 

"The discussion of standardisation starts first. This is where the specs of any generation is defined, and you need to be actively contributing there. Then, at one instance in time that will be taken back into strategic decision on what we need to invest in R&D, how we will evolve our platform, how we make sure that what we are developing today is ready for the next generation," said Husseini.

He added that 6G innovation will lie within major areas, such as AI-native standardisation, which is, of course, a very fitting integration for the current "boom"; advanced cloud-native integration; and heightened security and sustainability, all of which come into play.

One consequence could be a fundamental change in how data flows across networks. Today's mobile traffic is heavily weighted toward downloads, but Husseini suggested that AI-driven applications may reverse that pattern. "6G will introduce use cases which will move that reality to the reality of an uplink-heavy kind of traffic," he explained, pointing to scenarios where devices continuously send data for processing rather than simply consuming content.

Higher-frequency bands, while offering greater capacity, present trade-offs in terms of coverage. As Husseini noted, "the higher you go on the spectrum, the lower the coverage," requiring a balance between low-band and high-band frequencies to achieve both reach and performance. This balancing act is expected to continue in 6G, with different bands serving different use cases.

"High band could be for very specific use cases, whether it's a hot spot where a huge capacity might be required, or it could be non-terrestrial communication, which will be part of the 6G standardisation," said Husseini. "The focus is more in the mid-band and the centimetre wave, because these are expected to be the first frequencies to be used for 6G, especially on the terrestrial network."

However, Canada's approach to 6G deployment is likely to be measured. Rather than leading the initial rollout, the country is positioning itself to adopt the technology once standards and infrastructure are more mature. Husseini characterised this as a "fast follower" strategy, focused on strengthening existing networks as a foundation for future upgrades.

That preparation is already underway. Canadian telecom providers are continuing to expand 5G standalone networks, modernise spectrum usage, and invest in cloud-native core infrastructure. These steps are considered prerequisites for 6G, ensuring that networks can handle the increased complexity and traffic demands that will come with the new generation.

With the THz technology Gamouras' team is researching, moving into that spectrum introduces a new set of technical challenges.

By using single-photon detectors, the system can pick up very faint THz signals that would otherwise be lost. This approach also enables the technology to operate at room temperature, a significant advantage.

Many existing high-frequency detection systems require cryogenic cooling (operating at temperatures close to absolute zero) to function effectively. While suitable for laboratory settings, those conditions are impractical for widespread deployment in telecommunications infrastructure.

"We're focusing on things that operate at room temperature," Gamouras said, noting that reducing size, weight, and power requirements is essential if the technology is to move beyond research environments.

Even with these advances, the physics of THz waves introduces inherent limitations. Unlike lower-frequency signals used in current mobile networks, THz waves do not travel well through the atmosphere. Water vapour, rain, and humidity can all absorb or scatter the signal, reducing its range.

For example, THz links could be used within a single room or building to transmit large amounts of data quickly and securely. Because the signals do not travel far or penetrate walls easily, they are difficult to intercept, offering a natural layer of security.

Gamouras pointed to scenarios such as hospitals, where sensitive data could be transferred between devices without leaving a controlled environment. The same principle could apply to other settings requiring secure, high-speed communication over short distances.

THz communications are not designed to replace existing cellular networks for wide-area coverage. Instead, they are better suited to short-range, high-capacity applications, and are a cornerstone of 6G network development underway across the country.

Rather than positioning the technology as foundational to 6G, Gamouras described it as a complementary research avenue. In some cases, the same underlying technologies may serve multiple purposes, supporting both communications and quantum applications.

This dual-use potential is a notable feature of the NRC's work. The detection systems being developed could be applied not only to wireless communications but also to emerging quantum technologies.

While Ericsson forecasts expanded innovation from 5G across global broadband, autonomous mobility, and emergency communications, the new generation will expand into markets for coordinate-based data exposure and data modelling - paving the way for digital twins and mixed reality applications.

"These use cases could be used for public safety, for utilities such as energy mining - instead of sending people there, you can somehow have a digital twin, and from the digital twin decide what could be done in the real space. So that could be a great help and of a great value for different sectors in Canada," said Husseini. "Because 6G is sustainable by design, it will also help reducing maybe the network footprint, but also enable more decarbonization across the industries in Canada. So we might be able somehow to move into smarter grids and more efficient logistics in this case."

In terms of the generation's timeline, the industry remains several years away from commercial deployment of broader 6G networks. Current expectations suggest that formal 6G standards will not be finalised before 2029, with initial commercial networks emerging around 2030. Early estimates from Ericsson indicate growing adoption in the years to come, but widespread consumer availability will likely take additional time.