Antenna Systems & Technology - 2013 Spring - (Page 6)

FEATURE ARTICLE Antenna Technology Applications for Advanced LTE By Bob Giometti, SkyCross Vice President of R&D and Engineering Renowned for allowing high data speeds and access to a variety of content through the use of wide channels, Long-Term Evolution (LTE) is rapidly becoming the world’s leading mobile communications service. Its worldwide reach is expected to hit 198.1 million subscribers in 2013, a stunning 115 percent increase from 92.3 million in 2012, according to an IHS iSuppli Wireless Communications Special Report. As savvy consumers continue to demand increasingly fast data speeds, mobile operators are scrambling to phase out 2G and 3G cellular radio services to build faster, more reliable 4G LTE networks. Service providers and consumers both benefit from LTE, not only because of its accelerated speeds, but also because of the increased capacity, better performance and lower power consumption it offers. LTE is now the most sought-after mobile device protocol, and operators are facing substantial pressure to accommodate consumers’ surging demand for higher speed data links. LTE Benefits Driving Adoption LTE operates in both existing cellular bands and newer bands, some of which have been specifically designated for LTE. Most LTE phones use two bands, but the bands vary from carrier to carrier. Service providers select which specific bands to use based on several factors, including their spectrum holdings, country of operation and the type of service they are offering. LTE permits bandwidths of 1.25, 2.5, 5, 10, 15, and 20 MHz, with 5- and 10-MHz widths used most frequently. LTE also offers lower power consumption. The service may use small picocells in certain geographic areas, which also serves to increase overall network capacity. This increased capacity is particularly important in high density areas, such as city centers, stadiums and airports, and is an advantage for both operators and customers. As LTE adoption broadens, the mobile industry is already looking ahead to the next protocol. In fact, the Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) has already created new LTE standards, giving service providers a path to even higher speeds and differentiation. Known as LTE Advanced (LTE-A), this upgraded protocol will deliver even faster data rates and will also further optimize reliability. The attractiveness of standard LTE is accelerating migration to LTE-A; though LTE-A is still in development, service could begin as early as late 2013, with broader adoption beginning in 2014. 6 Antenna Systems & Technology Spring 2013 Carrier Aggregation Further Enhances Speed and Performance One defining feature of LTE-A is carrier aggregation, which allows mobile operators to combine as many as five 20-MHz channels into one ultra-fast channel. The combined channels give service providers a more reliable means of delivering quality media and optimize the LTE experience for consumers. Carrier aggregation also gives service providers more flexibility by dynamically allocating additional bandwidth when needed. This can be done within a frequency band or between bands available to an operator. By leveraging spectrum assets, mobile operators can ensure subscribers are receiving media at higher data speeds, a task that is becoming increasingly challenging in light of growing demand. To meet the soaring demand for highspeed data, spectrum must be used efficiently for multimedia and other data intensive applications. Also, the ability to select different bands (by operators seeking to increase network capacity by seamlessly transitioning between their own networks and public WiFi without interruption) is important. This strategy allows the carrier to allocate spectrum for when customers need it most. For instance, a smartphone user in a metropolitan area might receive a Wi-Fi signal for basic applications such as email, but could automatically switch to LTE for multimedia and other complex applications. LTE and LTE-A Design Challenges LTE and LTE-A protocols have the potential to give consumers exactly what they want: outstanding connectivity and lightningfast data rates. A number of advanced capabilities described in LTE-A requires the use of more advanced components and systems including the ability to provide faster uplink capability. Design challenges associated with carrier aggregation, includes additional complexity of the antenna system through use of scalable system bandwidth. “Smart” antenna systems that can adapt to a specific setting and be tuned to support various bands can provide a significant advantage over traditional “fixed” designs. LTE and LTE-A also require the use of multiple bands, including bands that are spaced widely apart from one another. To cover multiple bands, LTE devices require multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), using two or more transmit and receive antennas to maximize speeds within a particular channel. MIMO works by dividing serial data into separate data streams, then transmitting the various strains of data simultaneously over a single channel. www.AntennasOnline.com http://www.AntennasOnline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Antenna Systems & Technology - 2013 Spring

Antenna Systems & Technology - 2013 Spring
Editor’s Choice
Antenna Technology Applications for Advanced LTE
Case Study: Improve Antenna Alignment Monitoring by Preventing Condensation
Antennas
Components/Subsystems
Software/System Design
Test & Measurement
Industry News
Marketplace

Antenna Systems & Technology - 2013 Spring