In the African telcom market, operators see a growing need to implement the right next-generation technologies to benefit their subscribers and bottom line. Among the options available, I believe this is a tremendous opportunity for seamless in-building wireless connectivity and doubling capacity through active antennas.
The best way to implement efficient in-building wireless is through distributed antenna systems, where radio frequency signals are routed through fiber or copper cabling from a single base station to multiple antennas located throughout the building.
Besides in-building wireless coverage, increasing capacity is also a challenge faced by operators of this market. Every year, networks must support a growing volume of data traffic due to increased use of smart mobile devices. Active antenna systems provide operators with the means to support an increased volume of subscribers by providing the ability to sectorize coverage areas vertically. Sectorization is performed in the horizontal plane of the coverage area, but this opens up another avenue for capacity efficiency. If an operator has one sector at maximum capacity, one option would be to deploy additional antennas or cell sites. With active antenna technology, operators can take that sector, split it again vertically and almost double capacity, thus improving the service for subscribers and generating more revenue.
This is a critical time for African operators--those that squeeze the highest level of performance from their networks will thrive. This will be crucial in countries where the average revenue per user tends to be lower and making the wrong choice can be costly.
CommScope will host two workshops this week at AfricaCom inCape Town,South Africa, covering RF path perspectives and how companies can gain a competitive edge with DAS technology.
Best practices for implementation of new cell site technology
Philip Sorrells -VP Site Solutions:
Overcoming Coverage and Capacity Challenges Associated with In Building and High Density locations
Rafael Marques –Manager, Engineering Projects, Sub-SaharanAfrica
Come see us at Stand MR8 to learn more. We look forward to seeing you at the show!
