Top three antenna-related limiters to backhaul capacity
The race to address surging wireless demand has become
critical. Consumer expectations are high—and dropped calls can
impact loyalties. While consumers perceive dropped calls to be a
reflection of an inferior signal at the handset, the problem often
lies in the radio backhaul links. While boosting service quality must
be a primary focus, the pursuit delivers dividends that extend
beyond the customer experience, touching on cost, capacity, and
complexity. All of which benefit both the operator and consumers.
Cost
As margins have become increasingly tight and competition more
daunting, controlling costs has become a paramount concern. But
basing backhaul infrastructure decisions on purchase cost alone
may prove to be a long-term liability.
The networks are littered with bargain antennas that are
inefficient, often leading to dropped calls or disappointing
throughput results. Even in today’s networks—where quality
class 3 antennas are deployed—operators are forfeiting
opportunities for network improvements.
The arrival of new class 4 antennas has changed the game. They
are designed with low side lobe levels, allowing a smaller-thanaverage antenna size to be utilized across the network. The
smaller antenna footprint provides many cost benefits, including
reduced costs for shipping, storage, tower leasing and installation.
Capacity
Bargain microwave antennas may not support the desired
availability at the higher modulation schemes that are offered in
many of today’s microwave radios, limiting their ability to meet
network throughput demand. To compensate, an operator would
need to add larger antennas, which isn’t always possible. The right
solution must offer sufficient capacity to move traffic, ensuring
that quality of service (QoS) is sustained and never compromised.
Class 4 antennas with low side lobe levels offer an opportunity
to increase backhaul capacity (pipe size) for the same antenna
size. And their enhanced signal-to-noise performance ratio helps
network designers realize up to 40 percent higher capacity (and
therefore spectrum utilization) for the same geographic area.
Complexity
As industry competition has intensified, bringing a multitude of new
components and technologies, network complexity has increased.
Multi-sourcing components or using untested technology is fraught
with risk, threatening network performance and reliability and
driving the need for complex diagnostic and remedial work. And
improving an underperforming network is much more difficult than
optimizing one from the outset.
Look for a partner that helps you control costs, enhance capacity,
and eliminate complexities. The success of your microwave backhaul
strategy depends on it.
Cost
Complexity
Capacity
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CO-108271.1-EN (05/17)