As businesses increasingly adopt a mobile-first approach and demand for high-speed 5G connectivity surges, mobile network operators (MNOs) and telecommunications equipment manufacturers (TEMs) must continuously innovate to keep pace with evolving wireless technology demands. However, the rollout of 5G has not been smooth or swift, falling short of the high expectations initially set. Despite years of deployment, 5G still remains slower and less accessible in certain regions than anticipated.
Telecommunications companies have voiced frustrations over the prolonged efforts required to fully service major cities and countries typically known for robust connectivity and the inconsistencies faced by end users.
The delays are compounded by varying regulations across different US states and countries, substantial deployment costs and lengthy testing periods. Globally, the rollout faced hurdles too. For instance, despite significant investments in the UK from both the government and private sector, cellphone users experienced some of the slowest average download speeds in Europe last year. Open signal reported average speeds as low as 118.2 Mbps between August and October, down from 136.5 Mbps in the same period in 2022. In contrast, Middle Eastern countries like Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE have been recognized as ‘5G pioneers’ for their advanced deployment efforts.
High deployment costs
Deploying 5G infrastructure presents a myriad of challenges for MNOs. While the potential benefits of 5G are immense, the path to achieving widespread, high-quality 5G coverage is fraught with obstacles. Understanding these challenges provides a more comprehensive picture of the current state of 5G deployment and the innovative solutions needed to address them.
One of the most significant challenges for MNOs is the high cost associated with deploying 5G infrastructure. Unlike previous generations of wireless technology, 5G requires a denser network of base stations and small cells to provide consistent coverage and high-speed connectivity. According to a report by Deloitte, the capital expenditure required for 5G infrastructure could exceed $130 billion over the next five to seven years in the United States alone. These costs include acquiring new spectrum, upgrading existing sites and deploying new small cell networks.
To mitigate deployment costs and enhance the 5G experience, MNOs may need to adapt and adopt a comprehensive network approach. Achieving reliable indoor coverage and service in densely built-up areas demands innovative solutions.
Strengthening signals with smart repeaters
Smart network-controlled repeaters can extend and strengthen wireless networks without the need for additional base stations. Unlike traditional signal boosters, these devices reroute and amplify existing signals, improving coverage in areas with weak signals or around large buildings where consistent wireless coverage is challenging.
A smart repeater can be used in various settings, such as a home, business and public space, to improve the performance of a wireless network and ensure that all devices have reliable access to the cellular network. They can be useful in various industries where wireless connectivity is essential for business operations, such as healthcare, retail and hospitality. However, the need for a strong, reliable signal is becoming more crucial across any sector.
The smart repeaters can be deployed in two scenarios – as an outdoor-to-outdoor device to enhance network coverage and as an outdoor-to-indoor device that receives, enhances, and brings the outdoor signal inside a building with no or minimum signal penetration.
In the outdoor-to-outdoor deployment scenario, the smart repeater acts as a signal booster for the base stations. When a base station is deployed, areas around it sometimes don’t get enough illumination due to building shadowing, vegetation, or terrain, leading to a drop or degradation in signal quality and a bad user experience. In these cases, a smart repeater can be used to cover the shadowed areas to enhance the network. The donor unit receives the signal from the signal source, then the repeater retransmits the boosted signal towards these areas using its service unit antenna. If needed, the retransmitted downlink signal can be split to feed several service unit antennas, each pointed in a different direction to cover more shadowed areas.
Another usage model for outdoor-to-outdoor applications is the range extender for the new 5G signals. The MNOs are needed to use higher frequencies with wider available frequency bandwidth to get higher throughput. Using higher frequencies comes with a faster drop in the transmitted wireless signal power, commonly known as the Free Space Path Loss (FSPL). This is the loss of signal strength that occurs when an electromagnetic wave travels through free space. It depends on the frequency of the signal and the distance between the transmitter and receiver, with higher frequencies and longer distances resulting in greater loss. Consequently, the new 5G signals have a smaller coverage area than the lower frequency 4G signals if they have the same output power signal.
Attempts have been made to overcome this shortage by deploying higher power transmitters and using Massive MIMO antennas. The 5G signal also uses more advanced coding schemes, making the signal detectable at low receive power compared to the 4G, but not without sacrificing the throughput as the signal modulation must drop. However, this only works on the downlink signal, as the base station transmitter can access the high-power source. On the uplink side, however, the user equipment is usually battery-operated and has access to a limited power source. Therefore, using a high-power transmitter is not an option.
As the wireless communication needs to be established both ways, the low-power uplink signal will become the bottleneck to establishing the communication in the 5G frequencies. The smart repeater can extend the coverage of a 5G cell beyond its expected range by receiving and retransmitting the boosted signal for both uplink and downlink. Using the repeater, the downlink signal will reach the user equipment at a much higher power, reducing the need for coding and improving the modulation, resulting in a higher throughput. The same will happen to the uplink signal, making it detectable by the base station with user equipment at much further distances.
The outdoor-to-indoor usage model is different, as the repeater becomes the signal source for an in-built network solution. Using the outside signal to produce in-building cellular coverage is a challenge, especially in multi-story, high-efficiency modern buildings and offices, as they are built using heavy concrete walls with double-glazed windows and fire-resistance doors. These materials degrade the radio frequency (RF) signal and prevent it from properly propagating inside the building.
To address this issue, several in-building solutions have been introduced – a Distributed Antenna System (DAS), a Distributed Radio System (DRS), and a Distributed Small Cell (DSC). DAS is the most common and widely used solution due to its ease of design, deployment, and maintenance. It can come in three major forms – passive, active, and hybrid.
In passive DAS, power from an RF source signal is distributed among multiple antennas inside the building using passive components (splitters, couplers, and cables). In passive DAS architecture, a repeater can be used as the signal source. The distributed unit antenna receives the outside signal and feeds it to the repeater, which filters and boosts the signal, which will then reach the user using the DAS system.
Smart repeaters have the capability to repair weak signals and can be used to improve an in-home network, provide signals to people inside a warehouse or a building, and extend the 5G range in urban areas. The technology has the capacity to boost 5G and can go beyond its current capabilities.
Balancing innovation and implementation
Smart repeaters significantly reduce network operators’ expenses by utilizing existing infrastructure to extend and enhance 5G coverage. These repeaters also use smart antenna technology to detect the best signal direction, enabling devices to receive signals from distant base stations.
The technology can be an effective tool to address 5G challenges and evolving telecom demands, providing substantial benefits at a fraction of the cost of traditional solutions.
The challenges faced by MNOs in deploying 5G infrastructure are multifaceted, encompassing high costs, regulatory hurdles, technical complexities and community concerns. Overcoming these obstacles requires a combination of innovative technologies, strategic investments and proactive stakeholder engagement. By understanding and addressing these challenges, the telecom industry can pave the way for a more connected, high-speed future, ensuring that the benefits of 5G technology are realized across all sectors of society.
Smart repeaters have the potential to significantly enhance coverage and the 5G experience. The adoption of this technology is more and more looking like an essential step toward achieving the MNOs’ aims. It can significantly reduce infrastructure costs, decrease installation times, and improve customer satisfaction.
For MNOs, the challenge lies in balancing these factors while increasing 5G adoption and data consumption to boost revenue and expand services to wider customer groups. By overcoming these challenges and enabling the advantages of 5G, we can see a true transformation in industries and improved streaming and downloading experiences, especially in underserved areas. Only then will the full potential of 5G be realized.
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