“Simplifying complexification” – with no compromises
When it comes to telecoms capacity it seems the phrase that springs to mind is ‘more is more’. There is a constant demand for more data to support a growing list of innovations and applications all needing faster and greater volumes of data than ever before. We know that 5G can deliver this, but we hit a stumbling block when it comes to the infrastructure needed to support it. The ‘more is more’ approach is not simply not feasible.
Rip and replace isn’t an option
5G will have a lot to offer, but it isn’t a replacement for what has come before. 4G still has a lot to offer customers and with operators still looking to see return on their investment in 4G technology, it makes sense to continue to squeeze value out of their existing infrastructure. A recent report from BICS demonstrates that 4G usage is only increasing, doubling for the third year in a row, emphasising the vital role it has to play in consumer demands for capacity.
This means increasing site complexity isn’t optional, operators need to find a way to accommodate 5G equipment without impacting 3G and 4G infrastructure, making it all work together in a significantly more complex network set up. But how can this be balanced with the cell site restrictions?
Cutting complexity
This is where RFS can help. As the challenges faced by operators have become more and more apparent, RFS has been developing a range of solutions that can nurse the headaches 5G role outs present for operators and bring simplicity to the issue of site densification and increasing complexity.
We have taken a modular approach when designing our base station and small cell antenna equipment to enable a building block approach to antenna design. We can combine the frequencies and network technologies operators need — including 5G — in a single compact antenna with no compromises to spectrum efficiency, throughput or performance.
With this approach, operators can address space, complexity and site sharing challenges while avoiding the delays that come with a custom-built solution. Our antennas feature our unique plug-and-play FUSION architecture. It again takes advantage of a modular design, so operators can deploy any RFS passive antenna today then seamlessly upgrade the antenna with active components needed for 5G when the time is right.
No compromise necessary
Unlike most products that serve more than one purpose; all-weather tires, 2-in-1 shampoo, and swiss army knives, we do not ask our customers to make any compromises when it comes to performance.
If, in consolidating and simplifying the form factor of antennas serving different standards into a single solution, we caused a reduction in performance due to interference, we would solve one problem and create another. This is why our antenna experts extensively optimize and test our base station antennas to ensure maximum throughput and efficiency. We have a strong focus on identifying and minimizing passive intermodulation (PIM) sources, we pour a huge amount of our R&D resources into ensuring our equipment delivers best in class performance in a form factor that suits operator needs, and ensure our modular products work just as well as stand-alone alternatives.
Conclusion
The next stage of network evolution is critical but presents a greater range of challenges than we have seen with previous mobile generations. At RFS, we combine our long history in the industry, with a focus on innovation and invention to design solutions to ease the transition. By ensuring operators do not need to make choices or compromises, we help to shorten the road to mobile networks which deliver the capacity and speeds customers increasingly need.
If you want to speak with us about how our modular solutions can help simplify network complexity without compromise, contact our Base Station Antenna Product Line Manager Giampiero Capraro.
