Amphenol Antenna Solutions (AAS), a global supplier of Antenna Solutions and Accessories, has successfully tested its medium cell solution in Europe. From the easy site acquisition to the E2E network KPI monitoring, this range of compact antenna solutions has proven its efficiency in 4G/5G densification and also as a great alternative to macro cells, not only in dense urban but also in remote areas.
With the densification of 4G network and the addition of 5G, site acquisition becomes even more difficult. Moreover, site leases are often renegotiated or even terminated, pushing the mobile network operators to find alternative locations in areas where there is no macro cell option left. Therefore, solutions like mini-macro or medium cells can play a key role.
Purpose made Antenna Solution
AAS has been working with several European operators in order to define the most suitable antenna configurations, in a co-creation mode. Several aspects have been considered:
- Frequency combinations from 700 MHz to 3.5 GHz
- Tilt adjustment for best integration with the macro layer (no interference)
- Antenna height validation for EMF considerations
- Pattern configuration for pseudo-omni or three sectors depending on the capacity and coverage requirements.
- Jumper types for proper link budget and easy installation
- Antenna color for low visual impact, customization options
Several experimentations in the field were completed in order to confirm the performance of the solution and especially the KPIs of the area have improved.
This demonstrated that the medium cells were properly introduced within the macro layer, without interference and with a tangible increase of traffic. The field installation enabled also the validation of the solution by the installers.The medium cell solution can be used in dense urban, suburban and even rural areas. Indeed, medium cell sites with 18 m mast can be a good solution typically in small cities where no macro cell can be deployed. With a portfolio of various medium cell antennas in canister format, AAS is now fully ready to support the needs of smart cell sites.
Click here to view base station antennas from Amphenol Antenna Solutions listed on everything RF.
