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As wireless devices continue to multiply, the radio spectrum is becoming increasingly crowded. Smartphones, connected vehicles, industrial sensors, wearables and countless other devices all compete for bandwidth, generating electromagnetic interference (EMI) that can reduce connection quality, slow data transmission and make positioning systems less accurate. These challenges are expected to become even more significant as future 6G networks introduce integrated sensing and communications, allowing the same wireless infrastructure to simultaneously exchange data and detect the surrounding environment.
Researchers led by the University of Glasgow have developed a new technique designed to overcome one of the biggest obstacles facing a promising 6G technology known as Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS). Their approach enables these programmable “smart surfaces” to strengthen desired wireless signals while filtering out unwanted electromagnetic interference instead of amplifying it.
A reconfigurable intelligent surface consists of thousands of tiny programmable elements that manipulate incoming radio waves. Rather than reflecting signals in every direction like a conventional wall or metal surface, each element can be individually controlled to redirect, focus or reshape electromagnetic waves toward a specific receiver. The concept is similar to adjusting a mirror to reflect sunlight onto a chosen spot, except the surface performs the same function with radio-frequency signals.
According to TechXplore, one of the main limitations of RIS technology has been that it reflects every signal it receives, including interference from surrounding wireless devices. Previous attempts to suppress that interference often weakened the intended signal as well. The new system takes a different approach by first identifying the unique statistical characteristics, or “fingerprint”, of the background interference. It then combines that information with beam-scanning techniques to identify the strongest communication path before dynamically adjusting the surface to reinforce the desired transmission while filtering out unwanted signals.
The researchers validated the concept using an experimental RIS containing more than 4,000 programmable elements arranged in a 64×64 array. Operating at 3.5 GHz, the same frequency band widely used by today’s 5G networks, the system successfully concentrated wireless energy toward three intended users while preventing two users outside the test area from receiving a usable signal. The tests also demonstrated improved data rates and more accurate user positioning compared with conventional approaches.
Beyond commercial communications, the technology could have important defense and homeland security applications. Future military networks are expected to rely heavily on resilient wireless communications in environments crowded with friendly, civilian and hostile radio transmissions. Smart surfaces capable of selectively directing signals toward authorized users while limiting reception by unintended receivers could improve resistance to electronic interference, reduce the likelihood of signal interception and enhance secure communications for autonomous systems, command networks and tactical sensors.
The work also supports the broader vision of AI-native 6G networks, in which communication infrastructure actively adapts to changing electromagnetic conditions instead of passively carrying traffic. By allowing the environment itself to participate in managing wireless signals, intelligent surfaces could become a key building block for future communications systems that are not only faster, but also more energy-efficient, secure and reliable in increasingly complex electromagnetic environments.
The research was published here.
