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Telecom Business Review | Friday, January 06, 2023
In existing 4G and future 5G mobile networks, advanced antenna systems have become a viable option for large-scale deployments.
FREMONT, CA: With increasing capacity, coverage, and connection density requirements, Mobile Network Operators have incorporated advanced technologies such as Massive MIMO and beam forming into their networks. These technologies have been integrated into advanced antenna systems in parallel with their deployment in wireless infrastructure.
It is important to understand both the AAS technologies and the network's specific requirements before choosing the most suitable AAS variant.
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Advancement antenna system: A key to 5G NR's increased capacity and throughput is massive MIMO and beam forming technology. Conventional antennas, however, cannot support massive MIMO antenna arrays because they are too heavy, take up far too much space, and consume too much power.
Multi-antenna technique: As part of AAS features, multi-antenna techniques such as beam forming and MIMO are used. LTE networks currently use these features with conventional systems. Due to Massive MIMO's increased degrees of freedom, applying AAS features to an AAS radio results in significant performance gains.
How they work: AASs use rectangular antenna arrays to steer high-gain beams at various angles through beam forming. An antenna array transmits energy in a given direction by combining individual elements to form a main lobe, with the number of elements determining the overall gain. Individual RF signals are preceded by phase and amplitude shifts before being applied to the array elements to steer them in a particular direction. Array elements with dual polarization can respond simultaneously to horizontal and vertically polarized radio waves, increasing traffic handling capacity. Each element is fed by two independent transceivers, one for vertical polarization and one for horizontal polarization.
In existing 4G and future 5G mobile networks, advanced antenna systems have become a viable option for large-scale deployments. As a result of AAS, state-of-the-art beam forming and MIMO techniques are enabled, which provide greater coverage and capacity for end users. In this way, AAS significantly improves both upstream and downstream network performance.
With tall buildings and high subscriber density in dense urban high-rise scenarios, an AAS with vertically and horizontally beam-forming capabilities is the most beneficial solution. Often, a more cost-efficient AAS with fewer radio chains can perform adequately in suburban scenarios where vertical beam forming is not required. Several MIMO layers are not required to achieve high AAS performance.
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