Huawei Launches 5G Microwave Long-Reach E-band Solution to Scale Up 5G Deployment

 As 5G deployment scales up, its networks will be deployed in an increasing number of areas. At the 2020 Global Mobile Broadband Forum (MBBF 2020), Huawei unveiled an innovative 5G microwave long-Reach E-band solution that combines intelligent beam tracking (IBT) antenna with high-power E-band. This combination increases the distance of E-band transmission from 3 km to 5 km while providing a 20 Gb/s capacity and loosening the requirements of site deployment, which further accelerates the deployment of 5G.

E-band is a major solution of 5G's microwave transmission. The band is in the range of 80 GHz radio frequencies and provides a high bandwidth as high as 20 Gb/s. High-frequency spectrum requires small beam angles, which require a higher tower stability to deploy larger-diameter antennas. Due to this requirement, antennas with a 0.3 m diameter are mainly used to deploy the E-band in the industry. However, the transmission distance is too short to support scaled deployment of 5G.

The innovative IBT intelligent beam tracking antenna is the industry's first ever active microwave antenna. It leverages intelligent algorithms to maintain the stability of beams, thereby significantly reducing the requirements of E-band deployment on tower stability. This further breaks through the limits of setting up E-band antennas with a larger diameter, enabling deployment of both 0.6- and 0.9-meter E-band antennas. In addition, this innovation allows the transmit power to increase by 6 dB for E-band signals. With these two improvements, the E-band transmission distance is increased by more than 50%, reaching 5 km, while providing a 20 Gb/s capacity. This level of performance can fully meet the deployment requirements in urban areas.

E-band solution

Huawei's 5G microwave long-Reach E-band solution

At aggregation sites, the number of directions continuously increases, requiring network carriers to provide an increasing amount of spectrum resources. The SuperHUB solution improves the spectral efficiency by 2 to 3 times in multi-direction use cases. The number of directions within a 360° range for multiplexing a single frequency is increased from 4 to 12 on the 6–42 GHz bands and 12 to 24 on E-band. Alongside improving spectral efficiency, this enables carriers to increase the density of deployment at reduced costs.

Huawei 5G microwave will continue to make breakthroughs in increasing transmission distance, spectral efficiency, and site deployment to facilitate the deployment of 5G. We will also continue to provide ultra-broadband, simplified, and easy-to-deploy 5G microwave transport solutions to accelerate the construction of 5G networks worldwide.