CommScope Unveils Ultra-Wideband 4x4 MIMO Antenna

CommScope, a supplier of network infrastructure solutions, is leading base station antenna innovation with the first antenna on the market to cover 1400-2700 MHz, the broadest frequency band range available.

The antenna—available now—also supports 4x4 multiple input/multiple output (MIMO), a critical 5G-enabling technology for increasing network capacity, in all frequency bands.

"An antenna that covers this wide a range of frequency bands did not seem possible even one year ago, yet today CommScope is supplying them for deployment in Europe," said Farid Firouzbakht, senior vice president, RF Products, CommScope. "Our speed in developing this antenna reflects the continued, pressing need wireless operators have for increasing capacity in LTE networks while readying for next generation 5G."

The CommScope ultra-wideband antenna RRZZ-65B can support one or two antenna arrays in 1427-2690 MHz, a high band range no other antenna can match. It can also support a low band range of 694-960 MHz.

The RRZZ-65B supports 4T4R operation, meaning four beams of transmit and receive signals, in both the low and high band ranges, as well as frequency division duplex (FDD) and time division duplex (TDD). Operators can combine on one antenna the supplemental downlink band of 1400 MHz as well the primary band.

It can also be used in conjunction with external filters to separate different licensed bands as needed, such as the 2300 TDD band, making it easier to customize for specific needs.

The RRZZ-65B is the first antenna available to the industry to support 4xMIMO for 1400 MHz. The market driver for the RRZZ-65B antenna is the 1400 MHz spectrum that has recently been auctioned in Europe. CommScope also expects to support 3.5 GHz, a likely 5G frequency band, with this antenna platform in the future.

"CommScope ultra-wideband antennas help operators support multiple wireless networks via space-saving equipment, minimizing leasing costs while delivering flexibility for future network configurations," said Firouzbakht.

CommScope's broad portfolio of wireless network solutions address all areas of the RF path for LTE, LTE-Advanced and beyond and include:

• Antennas: base station and microwave
• Connectivity: fiber, coaxial and hybrid power cabling
• RF conditioning: filters, tower mounted amplifiers, multiband combiners
• Equipment enclosures: C-RAN hubs, integrated platforms
• In-building wireless: distributed antenna system and small cells
• Spectrum management: spectrum access system, microwave planning