Huawei Launches "1+1 Antenna Modernization", Defines Passive 5G Antenna
[Shenzhen, China, February 22, 2018] In the run up to the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2018, Huawei has announced its new "1+1 antenna modernization" concept, published a definition for 5G passive antennas, and launched a new range of antenna solutions. The company says that these solutions will meet the diverse needs of different telecom carriers as they evolve their networks and quickly build out for 5G.
Many carriers have already started building 5G networks. 5G technology will increase network capacity and enable the seamless coverage and ultra-low latency that many new mobile applications require. As one key element in mobile networks, in 5G network, antennas will need to receive and transmit on more frequency bands than ever. They also have to support higher order MIMO and enable flexible evolution to more sectors. Current antenna systems will not support 5G, but cell tower space is limited and lease costs are high. This means that it would be very hard to simply add on new 5G antennas. Huawei developed “1+1 antenna modernization” concept to address these problems. The proposal involves dual antennas: one passive antenna for all sub-3 GHz frequency bands, and an active antenna for C band and mmWave. This arrangement will enable carriers to upgrade their antenna networks to 5G readiness in a single step, eliminating the need for duplicated investment or multiple antenna upgrades.
Huawei Launches "1+1 antenna modernization" concept
Drawing on its knowledge of global carrier practices, and their goals for 5G, Huawei has developed a definition for the 5G passive antenna. It covers three major use cases. For FDD-only networks, a single antenna will support 4x4 MIMO on all sub-3 GHz frequency bands. For networks using both FDD and TDD, the passive antenna will integrate 4T4R for both sub-3GHz bands and the C-band. For multi-sector use cases, antennas will support flexible evolution from multi-sector to MIMO. And 5G antennas will need to be more intelligent for more efficient O&M and remote monitoring and control of the network.
Huawei has invested heavily in R&D on new antenna technologies. Three major innovations are the AirType Dipole, the AirMax Feeding Network, and Dipole Reuse 2.0. These technologies are used in its three new antenna platforms, named Munich (MUC, for FDD networks), London (LON, for FDD/TDD), and Bangkok (BKK, multi-sector/MIMO). These highly evolvable platforms have enabled Huawei to quickly develop and produce 5G antennas that are smaller, lighter, and more efficient. They will be a vital factor for carriers rolling out high-performance 5G networks.
Joyee Zhang, president of the Huawei antenna business unit, said, "Huawei has a very deep understanding of how the industry is evolving, and a strong R&D team. We are launching a full range of 5G antenna solutions, which will solve one of the key hardware issues facing carriers as they deploy 5G networks. These solutions will help carriers to greater business success."
MWC 2018 runs from February 26 to March 1 in Barcelona, Spain. Huawei is showcasing its products and solutions at booth 1J50 in Fira Gran Via Hall 1, booth 3130 in Hall 3, and the Innovation City zone in Hall 4. For more information, please visit http://carrier.huawei.com/en/events/mwc2018.
