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Network Infrastructure Magazine | Monday, May 29, 2023
Network operators can benefit from dual-band antennas to ensure their networks are ready for 5G.
FREMONT, CA: The requirements placed on the infrastructure of mobile networks by 5G are increasing. Delivering a positive 5G user experience is a challenging task, and this is just the beginning. Consider the new ultra-low latency connectivity, data speeds surpassing 10 Gbps, and greater traffic density capacity with thousands of simultaneous connections.
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Networks must keep moving forward to keep up with demand, claims a 5G Americas white paper. The task list now includes substantial increases in peak data rates, area traffic capacity, latency, synchronization, security, and automation.
Upcoming difficulties: Backhaul has experienced availability, capacity, cost, and reach issues with conventional mobile networks. However, with 5G's front- and mid-haul capabilities, additional issues must be resolved, including the need for dense networks and tight low latency standards. Backhaul networks often aren't as impacted as latency requirements are but rather by capacity constraints, unlike front-haul and mid-haul networks. Currently, 4G networks only require about 1GbE of backhaul, but if 5G takes off, backhaul capacity needs are predicted to rise to 10GbE or more.
Additionally, even though a direct wired fiber link can meet the high-capacity requirements of 5G, the difficulty and expense of constructing fiber networks and the enormous number of additional locations required to support 5G severely restrict the usage of fiber backhaul. Microwave technology, in contrast, can connect fewer individual sites to the fiber network and is rapid and affordable to deploy, all without the same issues. However, networks must consider the E-band frequency range, which is between 71 and 86 GHz, because the typical microwave bands (6 to 38 GHz) are constrained owing to high interference levels and frequency congestion.
The E-band industry is anticipated to experience considerable global expansion in the upcoming years. India will soon make public its allotment of E-band spectrum, joining regions like Europe, North America, and the Middle East that have previously carried out extensive E-band installations. That is not unexpected. Given the vast, accessible channel size and the straightforward access to the spectrum provided by regional licensing techniques, it is quite alluring for most operators. In actuality, E-band deployment is permitted in more than 80% of nations with known statuses for telecommunication regulatory bodies. In the past, the biggest problem with E-band was its short range.
E-band transmissions are only reliable for a few miles (about 3.2 km), depending on the diameter of the antenna and the surrounding environment, before reliability drops below 99.999%. Dual-band antenna placement, however, can aid with microwave technology regarding signal quality, connection distance, and enhanced microwave backhaul that combines millimeter wave and classic microwave frequencies into a single, dual-band antenna would be the most advantageous for operators. According to simulation and real-world results, using a dual-band antenna that can send and receive both E-band and conventional microwave signals can significantly impact link length, backhaul capacity, and the overall network cost while maintaining the crucial "five 9s" reliability.
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