Foreign media: Chinese researchers have developed a flexible 5G millimeter-wave "paper antenna," replacing the expensive and rigid substrates traditionally used in high-end electronic devices with glossy photo paper less than 0.3 mm thick, combined with screen-printed conductive copper paste. This innovation reduces material costs by over 95% and is biodegradable.
The design is specifically optimized for shipboard 5G communication environments, positioning itself as a low-cost, scalable solution for "last-mile" connectivity. In contrast, the U.S. Navy's similar project had a single-terminal R&D contract worth $6.29 million, and deploying wireless networks across 140 ships cost $99 million; while China Unicom spent only ¥57,000 (approximately ¥19,000 per vessel) in 2023 to achieve indoor 5G coverage for three naval vessels of a military unit—though the technical scope differs significantly, the cost disparity is striking.
This innovation holds the potential to eliminate key cost barriers to large-scale naval 5G applications.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1863001634409668/
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