CommScope is collaborating with Nokia to develop passive-active antenna solutions which will enable operators around the world to optimize tower space usage, increase cell site capacity and lay the groundwork for a 5G ready future, said the company.
As operators seek ways to keep up with intense subscriber demand for mobile broadband, they must add capacity to existing radio technology layers. In many cases, as 5G roll-out momentum builds, 5G massive MIMO antennas capable of 3.5 GHz frequency bands may also need to be deployed at the same cell site, said CommScope.
To address this requirement, CommScope and Nokia are developing new passive-active antenna solutions to significantly boost site capacity, while easing deployment considerations, said the firms. The streamlined design of the passive-active antenna combines the capacity and beam forming benefits of massive MIMO adaptive antenna technology for 5G, as well as high performance antennas for existing radio technologies all within the available, often limited, cell site space.
“The passive-active antenna solutions give operators a strong business case for 5G ready networks, while also increasing the capacity and performance of existing technologies,” said Farid Firouzbakht, senior vice president of RF Solutions, CommScope. “We will continue to build on the momentum with Nokia, developing innovative solutions for operators.”
The passive-active antenna solutions will be released for commercial deployment in 2019, said the company.
