1、New 5G, New Antenna 5G Antenna White Paper 1 5G, Gear Up for the New MBB Era 01 1.1 Unprecedented 5G Development 01 1.2 All-Band Transition to Support 5G Services 02 2 Antennas Are Key Elements of 5G Networks 04 3 All-Band Beamforming Is a Fundamental Characteristic of 5G Antennas 06 3.1 Band-Level

2、Minimum 4T4R Configuration for 5G Antennas 06 3.2 High-Precision Beamforming Is Mandatory for 5G Antennas 07 4 Coordinated Design Is a Fundamental Attribute of 5G Antennas 08 4.1 Component-Level Collaboration Ensures 5G Network Configuration and Performance 08 4.1.1 Array Amplitude and Phase Consist

3、ency Enable High-Precision NR Beamforming 08 4.1.2 High Power Capacity and Thermal Design Meet 5G Requirements 09 4.2 Product-Level Collaboration Simplifies 5G Network Deployment 10 4.2.1 Integration Between Active and Passive Antennas 10 4.2.2 Multi-Band Ultra-Wideband Independent Control 10 4.3 Fe

4、ature-Level Collaboration Facilitates Implementation of 5G Features 11 4.3.1 5G Antennas Support All-Band Calibration 11 4.3.2 5G Antennas Support Weight Management 11 4.3.3 5G Antennas Support Beam Configuration 12 5 Smart, Simplified Management Reflects the Value of 5G Antennas 13 5.1 Scenario-Spe

5、cific 3D Beam Adaptation 13 5.2 Intelligent Channel Shutdown 14 5.3 High-Precision Real-Time Terminal Positioning 15 6 Summary 16 7 Acronyms and Abbreviations 17 5G Antenna White Paper | 01 01 5G, Gear Up for the New MBB Era 1.1 Unprecedented 5G Development 5G is enjoying an unprecedented developmen

6、t, with the user base forecast to grow to 500 million in three years, a scale that 3G and 4G took nine and six years, respectively, to achieve. 2019 is the first year of 5G scaled commercial adoption, with more than 60 5G commercial networks projected to be globally deployed. By H1 of 2019, 19 telec

7、om carriers in 11 countries announced the launch of 5G services. Scaled commercial rollouts have already kicked off in the UK, the US, Japan, South Korea, and China. Figure 1-1 Countries with scaled 5G deployments in 2019 * Source: Huawei MI, 2019 2018.4 UK auctioned 3.4GHz 2019.6 Commercial eMBB 20

8、18.11 Auctioned 28GHz 2018 FWA 2019 eMBB 2019 Commercial 2020 Large-Scale commercial 2018.6 Auctioned 3.5GHz & 28GHz 2019.6 Commercial eMBB 2019 Commercial 2020 Large-Scale commercial Global 5G spectrum auctioning also signifies 5Gs rapid development. By H1 of 2019, more than 30 countries auctioned

9、5G spectrum, with C Band in 22 countries, mmWave in 5, the 2.6 GHz band in 4, and the 700 MHz band in 3. The US, Mexico, and Canada assigned 600 MHz band. It is predicted that 5G spectrum will be auctioned in over 80 countries by 2020. Figure 1-2 5G spectrum assignment from 2018 to 2019 Assignments

10、Completed Assignments Planned Assignments Completed and Further Planned 20182019H12019H2 * Source: GSMA Intelligence, Apr, 2019 02 | 5G Antenna White Paper 5G provides users with a better experience and enables massive connectivity between people, between machines, and between people and machines. I

11、t supports low-latency transmissions, using which remote healthcare, VR/AR, self- driving, and other innovative services can be implemented, as illustrated in Figure 1-3. 5G services require 5G networks with 1000 times larger capacity and 10 to 100 times faster data speeds. The International Telecom

12、munication Union (ITU) sets 1 Gbit/ s as the benchmark for user-perceived peak rate, with an omnipresent perceived speed of 100 Mbit/s for outdoor places. The Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN) Alliance put forward a similar set of standards that include a perceived speed of above 1 Gbit/s in de

13、nse-urban areas, a ubiquitous 100 Mbit/s in urban areas, and a pervasive 50 Mbit/s in suburban areas. 5G ecosystem has seen accelerated development in maturity. By Q2 of 2019, Qualcomm, Samsung, and Huawei have all launched terminal chips that support 5G NSA, SA, and NSA-SA and the interconnection t

14、ests have been completed. Commercial terminals have been launched. Till May 2019, there are over 50 5G terminals available on the market, with the lowest price at US$ 662. 5G networks have been commercially adopted in China, the United States, Japan, South Korea, and European countries. Forecast ind

15、icates that, by 2020, 5G smartphones will account for 20% of global smartphone shipment and the price of low-end mobile phones will be reduced to US$ 300. To meet data speed requirements and adapt to spectrum characteristics and terminal maturity, 5G target networks are designed to have a triple-lay

16、er structure, as illustrated in Figure 1-4. 1.2 All-Band Transition to Support 5G Services 01 5G, Gear Up for the New MBB Era Ultra-experience layer: Leverages the ultra-wide bandwidth of the mmWave spectrum to provide eMBB- needed capacity and data speeds in urban hotspots where premium experience

17、is necessary. High capacity layer: Serves to ensure wide coverage, universal 100 Mbit/s data speed in outdoor places, and massive connections through the C-band and 2.6 GHz resources (that support a 100 MHz bandwidth) and Massive MIMO technology. Ubiquitous coverage layer: Implements wide and in- de

18、pth radio coverage and ensures universal connections and user experience by functioning on low and intermediate bands that have low path loss and strong penetration, such as 700 MHz and 1.8 GHz. Figure 1-3 5G service models eMBB UHD Video AR&VR Smart City Smart PortSmart Grid Smart Healthcare Connec

19、ted Vehicle Factory Automation Home Broadband 5G mMTCuRLLC 5G Antenna White Paper | 03 Figure 1-5 5G spectrum transition trends Figure 1-4 Triple-layer structure of 5G target networks The triple-layer structure of 5G target networks reflects 5Gs development trajectory. To deliver the x Gbit/s experi

20、ence, initial- stage 5G relies on the ultra-wide bandwidth of the C-band, 2.6 GHz, or mmWave resources, as well as Massive MIMO technology. Fundamental coverage is still achieved using FDD LTE and NR through EN-DC between FDD LTE and TDD NR and flexible resource sharing between LTE and NR in time an

21、d frequency domains. With 5G applications continuously diversifying, spectral resources will be increasingly utilized to implement NR CA between FDD NR and TDD NR, allowing networks to better ensure capacity and connection needs while delivering high reliability and low latency. To adopt to growing

22、maturity of the 5G industry chain and support the comprehensive adoption of eMBB, mMTC, and uRLLC applications, all bands will be required to implement 5G through dynamic spectrum sharing. *Source: Huawei MI, 2019 mmWavemmWave NR 3.5 GHzNR 3.5 GHz EN-DCNR CA LTE/NR 2.6 GHz LTE/NR 2.6 GHz xGbit/s exp

23、erience coverage 5G basic connection coverage LTE:1.8 GHz, 2.1 GHz NR sub-3 GHz 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 2100 MHz LTE: 800 MHz, 900 MHz Ultra-experience layer High capacity layer Ubiquitous coverage layer Price (USD) $500 $300 $100 $800+ 20% $150 6GHz (mmWave) eMBB 90% 80% 26 GHz eMBB, u

24、RLLC, mMTC (wide area, no in-depth coverage) 2 GHz eMBB, uRLLC, mMTC 20025 Year 5G smartphone shipment High end Low end $300 04 | 5G Antenna White Paper 5Gs accelerating growth is driving the need for all bands to implement 5G. 5Gs multi-band and ultra-wide bandwidth capabilities are comb

25、ined with Massive MIMO to enable 5G networks to support eight key features based on band characteristics in accordance with the triple-layer development trajectory of 5G target networks. This way, 5G applications of three major use cases can be fully supported. Figure 2-1 describes the eight key fea

26、tures on 5G networks. Figure 2-1 Importance of key features in diverse application scenarios eMBB mMTCuRLLC Low Medium Peak data rate User experienced data rate Spectrum efficiency Mobility LatencyConnection density Energy efficiency Area traffic capacity Importance 02 Antennas Are Key Elements of 5

27、G Networks 5G Antenna White Paper | 05 The all-band-to-5G transition requires antenna systems to support all bands. Considering 5G network characteristics, antennas must also flexibly adopt to diverse applications scenarios. To achieve peak data rate and perceived data rate while meeting area traffi

28、c capacity and mobility requirements, antennas must support: All-band configuration: One antenna must support the C Band and mmWave spectrum resources while enabling all sub-3 GHz bands to support 5G NTNR features. Precise beam coverage: Beam shapes must meet the requirements of application scenario

29、s in the way that the beam energy is concentrated on desired areas and the interference to non-desired coverage areas is minimized. Spectral efficiency is essential, which requires antennas to support: Multi-user beamforming (MU beamforming), allowing multiple user beams to share time- and frequency

30、-domain resources to thereby maximize 5Gs spectral efficiency. This can be achieved by implementing accurate null-steering control on antennas to suppress the interference caused by resource sharing. Power efficiency and connection density require antennas to support: Radiation concentration: Antenn

31、as must support precise antenna pattern control in accordance with coverage scenarios to maximally concentrate radiated energy on desired areas. Low loss: Antenna components are designed the way that the induced loss can be minimized so that the same radiation power can ensure coverage with a greate

32、r depth and width. Unlike 3G and 4G antennas that provide coverage with fixed beam patterns and directivity, 5G antennas must support on- demand beam coverage according to applications scenarios and user distributions. 5G antennas must be able to function with RAN to support beam management so as to

33、 help deliver precise coverage in target areas while significantly suppressing interference in other areas. Antennas must evolve from plug-and-play components in 3G and 4G networks to key network elements that support flexible beam configuration and management in 5G networks. Therefore, 5G antennas

34、will be a new type of antennas that are highly integrated, support flexible all-band configuration, and enable scenario-specific beam management. 06 | 5G Antenna White Paper 3.1 Band-Level Minimum 4T4R Configuration for 5G Antennas 3GPP Release 15 suggested that beamforming be used to improve 5G bro

35、adcast and traffic beam coverage, adding that the theoretical improvement can reach 3 dB. In TS 38.213, five SSB patterns are defined for 5G broadcast beams, with SSB beams capped at a maximum of four for sub-3 GHz bands and eight for 36 GHz bands, as illustrated in Figure 3-2. A minimum of two ante

36、nna arrays are required to generate beamforming beams. Beams with narrower widths mean more 5G broadcast beams available but require more antenna arrays. Therefore, 5G antennas have to support a minimum of two arrays on each band, meaning that they must support minimum 4T4R configuration on each ban

37、d. To deliver higher speeds, massive connections, ultra-low latency, and premium user experience, 5G networks cannot use fixed broadcast beams of 3G and 4G networks. 5G broadcast beams are a group of narrow beams of appropriate widths and varied directivity that are achieved by using beamforming tec

38、hnology, as illustrated in Figure 3-1. These narrow beams sweep across the target areas without leaving coverage holes in the target areas while having the minimal overlap coverage as well as the maximum RSRP and SINR. To create 5G broadcast beams with these characteristics, 5G antennas must support

39、 beamforming technology. Figure 3-1 Principles of beamforming technology With the all-band to 5G transition, 5G antennas must support beamforming for broadcast beams on all bands. Weight W1W2 Desired suppression Desired coverage Wn 03 All-Band Beamforming Is a Fundamental Characteristic of 5G Antenn

40、as 5G Antenna White Paper | 07 UE1 Beam 1 Beam 2 Beam 3 Beam 3 Beam 4 Beam 4 UE2 UE3 UE3 UE4 UE4 Null steering 3.2 High-Precision Beamforming Is Mandatory for 5G Antennas To ensure higher RSRP and SINR, 5G broadcast beams use beamforming to form a group of narrow beams of accurate widths and directi

41、vity. 5G traffic beams are more advanced than those for 4G and MU beamforming has become a standard function. This function requires not only accurate pointing toward multiple UEs to ensure maximal gains but also accurate null-steering to UEs. Only this way, can the UEs have maximum coverage, minimu

42、m interference, and optimal SINR, as illustrated in Figure 3-3. The accurate coverage of both 5G broadcast and traffic beams depends on beamforming. Therefore, high-precision beamforming is a mandatory feature for antennas to ensure consistent beam amplitudes and phases between antenna arrays. Figur

43、e 3-3 MU beamforming accurate coverage MBB networks are transitioning to 5G target networks owing to maturing 5G industry chain, promoting the all-band-to-5G transition. 5G requires flexible, accurate coverage to target areas to ensure optimal user experience. Therefore, 5G antennas must: Support 5G

44、 on all bands. Support a minimum 4T4R configuration on a single band. Support high-precision beamforming, which is a mandatory technology that requires antenna arrays to support accurate calibration and amplitude/phase consistency. Figure 3-2 Beamforming of 5G broadcast beams One array Beamforming i

45、s not supported Two arrays Beamforming is supported, with up to 4 beams N arrays More arrays, narrower beams Up to 4 beams (sub-3 GHz) and 8 beams (36 GHz) 08 | 5G Antenna White Paper Coordinated design is a consistent focus of the industry. In 4G, this involves (component-level) simulation and test

46、s that aim to maximize capacity and coverage performance through antenna pattern optimization. In 5G, RAN-antenna coordination will reach unprecedented levels. Depending on applicable object, it is categorized as component-level, product-level, and feature- level collaboration, as illustrated in Fig

47、ure 4-1. Component-level coordination focuses on the design and optimization of antenna elements, arrays, and feeding networks to meet 5G network configuration and performance requirements. Product-level coordination focuses on the integration between active and passive antennas to improve 5G networ

48、k deployment. Feature-level coordination matches 5G network planning and applications with better implementation of high-precision beamforming, LTE-NR sharing, and other features. The details of classic coordinated designs are provided in the following figure: 4.1 Component-Level Collaboration Ensur

49、es 5G Network Configuration and Performance 4.1.1 Array Amplitude and Phase Consistency Enable High-Precision NR Beamforming High-precision beamforming is a key 5G network technology. The beamforming precision for 5G broadcast beams is determined by single-array beam vector and array phase difference. Single-array beam vector: Determined by antenna design, which can be different among antennas possibly due to mutual coupling between antenna elements and array layout