5G, 6G, RFID & Telecoms

IDTechEx analyst Dr Selim presents on materials that can help minimize transmission losses in high frequency communications.

The emergence of 5G and 6G telecommunications, along with the rise of data center demand and advanced automotive radar systems, is presenting a need for low-loss materials to optimize transmission. This article explores how low-loss materials can prevent transmission losses associated with higher sensitivities and frequencies.

Join IDTechEx Principal Technology Analyst Conrad Nichols on Tuesday 17th February for this expert webinar "Battery Storage Trends in Data Centers and Commercial & Industrial Applications". Choose your preferred time zone - the webinar runs three times during the day.

As communication systems move to higher frequencies (e.g. 5G/6G) and data transfers move to higher rates, minimizing transmission losses and maintaining signal integrity become very important. This is where low-loss materials come in. With several different options for low-loss materials available in the market, this article looks at the key properties and factors to consider that guide the selection of materials for high frequency applications.

The telecommunications industry is contemplating a problem it hasn't faced before, a lack of growth. As reported by IDTechEx "6G Market 2026-2036: Technology, Trends, Forecasts, Players", YoY growth rates in global wireless traffic have been on a downward trend since 2020 (albeit still exhibiting growth). As the industry continues to lay the groundwork for the CAPEX-intensive shift to 6G, could various manifestations of AI offer a pathway to renewed growth?

IDTechEx analyst Mika Takahashi assesses non terrestrial networks in this IDTechEx video.

The global RFID market continues to expand, with IDTechEx forecasting growth from US$15.6 billion in 2025 to US$23 billion by 2036. and associated software and services across both passive and active technologies. Drawing on insights from IDTechEx's latest research study, "RFID 2026-2036: Forecasts, Players and Opportunities", this article provides a high-level overview of the market outlook and examines regional trends across the Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa.

Join IDTechEx Senior Technology Analyst Dr Shababa Selim for this 30-minute webinar, where she will be sharing insights from the brand-new market report "Low-Loss Materials for 5G/6G, Radar, and High-Speed Digital 2026-2036: Markets, Trends, and Forecasts".

In October 2025, Virgin Media (one of the UK's largest telecom operators) signed a landmark partnership with Starlink to provide D2C (direct-to-cell) mobile services from 2026. Although this technology will harness the same satellites as those used for Starlink's satellite Wi-Fi, IDTechEx's latest report on 6G unpacks how D2C mobile services face fundamental physical challenges that will affect their performance compared with satellite Wi-Fi.