Exponential growth in mobile data traffic is one of the most significant challenges facing wireless operators today. With the expanding number of 5G networks worldwide, the increased data traffic capacity, and the expectation for individual data traffic to more than triple between 2021-2027, operators are challenged to accurately forecast the capacity they need to provide in a given area. Several factors inform this forecast, such as the size of the service coverage area, customer profiles, and the services and applications they require. Mobile Network Operators have the option to implement a variety of technologies and techniques to satisfy their diverse customer data demands. In the end, there are only three ways to address mobile network capacity: increase the density (number of cell sites), deploy additional spectrum, and/or increase the spectral efficiency of their current spectrum holdings using advanced radio technologies.
When determining how to provide the capacity needed for customers in a given region, MNOs often first consider the spectrum available for use. For 5G, the industry has categorized the spectrum to support service into three band segments: the first is low-band, which offers extensive coverage but carries limited data; second is mid-band, such as CBRS and C-band, which doesn’t travel as far as low-band but carries far more data; third is high-band, usually called millimeter-wave (mmWave), which carries an enormous amount of data but has a signal that doesn’t travel as far and often bounces off of walls and other obstructions. With 5G, operators who hold spectrum in all three segments can plan their cell sites judiciously to ensure they have the proper spectrum blend to serve a given area.
The area where the industry has seen tremendous growth and advancement is in radio technology. A technology used by operators to deliver higher throughput per user is carrier aggregation. The portion of a frequency band used for a specific subscriber is called a carrier. Carrier aggregation allows an operator to combine multiple carriers from the same or different frequency bands to increase capacity, enabling a significant increase in spectral efficiency. With the use of carrier aggregation in the RAN and at the end device, network operators have been able to deliver two to three times the bandwidth for users on their network.
Over the years, new technologies like Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) radio units were introduced to the market, using multipath propagation to multiply the capacity of a radio link. MIMO radio units send and receive multiple data signals simultaneously over the same radio channel and are characterized by the number of transmit (T) and receive (R) elements they have, ranging from 2TRx to 64TRx. Single User MIMO (SU-MIMO) uses multiple data streams to increase the amount of data sent to one device. In contrast, Multi User MIMO (MU-MIMO) can send multiple data streams to multiple clients (or consecutively to the same device). Massive MIMO (mMIMO) units have many small antennas, tightly located, generating narrow beams that can be precisely focused. These tight beams strengthen the received power and reduce interference, providing increased coverage, higher capacity, and better spectrum use.
Operators are also leveraging other approaches to deliver the needed access and address the traffic demands, often determined by their customers’ geographic constraints. One method is Fixed Wireless Access (FWA), often used in rural areas where it’s cost-prohibitive to lay cable or fiber to every business and residence.
Fixed Wireless Access has become a growing market due in part to government programs intended to spur broadband deployment to underserved areas and communities. Also used in urban and suburban areas, FWA is being deployed to complement existing network capacity – providing their mobile subscribers with in-home service that off-loads mobile network access from the user. FWA allows an operator to deliver broadband speeds using CBRS or mmWave spectrum to meet customer connectivity needs and, in cases where government incentives are provided, meet the requirements for upload and download speeds.
Samsung works closely with MNOs around the world to ensure they have the necessary tools to provide their subscribers with the mobile capacity they need. Our extensive portfolio includes indoor and outdoor radio units that cover a broad range of low, mid-band, and mmWave spectrum. From carrier aggregation, beam-forming, and SU/MU-MIMO technologies, Samsung has a variety of massive MIMO radios ranging from 16TRx to 64TRx.
The amount of mobile data traffic consumed globally continues to rise, with no ceiling in sight. Operators face an ongoing challenge to forecast their network requirements so that subscribers everywhere can have the necessary connectivity and bandwidth. The introduction of 5G networks and associated technologies is providing operators with the tools they need to address the capacity dilemma, which will allow their subscribers to receive an unparalleled level of service. Samsung is committed to providing MNOs with the broadest portfolio of high-performance radios on the market; coupled with our industry-leading virtual RAN (vRAN) technology, we enable operators worldwide to meet their throughput and network performance requirements for customers everywhere.