In practical terms this equates to being able to transmit a 50GB high-definition 8K movie within seconds – potentially opening up a range of commercial and educational opportunities to those living in remote areas.

At present the need to ensure widespread connectivity has resulted in a fragmented spectrum of frequencies and devices.

Some 5G mobile phones operate at around 3 gigahertz, satellites use 30 GHz and future applications such as holographic surgery may require frequencies up to 100 GHz, which means engineers have been forced to tackle each new challenge as it comes.

But the team of researchers, led by scientists from Peking University and City University of Hong Kong, may render such piecemeal solutions obsolete.