CommScope's COVID-19 Customer & Partner Hub Visit
CommScope's COVID-19 Customer & Partner Hub Visit
For large and medium enterprises, ubiquitous, multi-operator in-building wireless connectivity is increasingly critical for employee productivity, customer satisfaction and even brand reputation. For building owners and managers, excellent wireless connectivity can increase property value. For mobile network operators, neutral hosts and system integrators, the system must be economical to install and manage, and flexible to meet evolving mobile technologies and customer needs.
CommScope’s all-digital ERA distributed antenna system makes in-building wireless simpler and more economical. Operating on standard IT infrastructure—Category 6A and fiber—these solutions allow operators, neutral hosts and enterprises to provide high capacity with “five bars” of in-building coverage.
Features and benefits
ERA evolves the conventional distributed antenna system (DAS) architecture by adding C-RAN capabilities. With ERA, you can:
ERA makes in-building wireless solutions simpler to install, easier to manage and less expensive to operate—all while giving operators, neutral hosts and enterprises the room they need to grow as new technologies and applications come to market.
ERA and ION-E
ERA is an extension of the hardware and software architecture that CommScope originally introduced as ION-E. Going forward, all new systems are ERA. Since ION-E and ERA share the same hardware modules, system software and management systems, existing ION-E systems can be updated and expanded using ERA components.
Groundbreaking CPRI Baseband Interface
Through a collaboration with Nokia, ERA features a direct CPRI interface to Nokia’s AirScale baseband unit (BBU). This integration collapses the functionality of up to six remote radio units and their associated cabling into a single 300 by 145 mm (12 x 6 inches) card. Head-end space and power consumption are drastically reduced while system capacity is increased.
Safety First
Emergency responder radio coverage is often a requirement in new construction and sometimes even mandated for existing buildings. ERA offers specialized access points that support popular public safety frequencies including band 14 for FirstNet in the U.S. These remotes are available in different transmit power levels to address regional differences in typical building sizes.
At the head end, CommScope offers fire and water protective enclosures meeting relevant public safety standards such as NEMA 4 and NFPA. CommScope also offers a range of multi-band RF repeaters designed for public safety applications. These can be used as a signal source to ERA or on their own with direct coaxial connection to multiple antennas.
Future-Ready
Enterprises, property owners, neutral hosts and network operators need to know that their investments today will prepare them for tomorrow’s needs. In-building wireless capabilities are increasingly called upon to support emerging smart building and campus services and the Internet of things (IoT). They also need to support technology evolution to 3.5 GHz bands to support 5G New Radio in Europe and Asia, and Citizen’s Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) in the U.S.
ERA’s all-digital, frequency-agnostic system architecture ensures that the system will be able to support new services in existing and new bands including CBRS and sub-6 GHz 5G NR. ERA’s multiplexed fiber fronthaul can also be shared with other communication services. And as usage patterns change, capacity can be re-allocated through a web-based drag-and-drop software GUI rather than physical re-wiring.
CommScope holds 164 patent families for the technological innovations incorporated in ION-E and ERA.
System description
The system consists of the following components (refer to diagram below):
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UAP | CAP-L | CAP-M | CAP-H | |
Output power | 18 dBm/60 mW | 18-21 dBm/60-125 mW | 30 dBm/1W | 43 dBm/20W |
Frequency Bands | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
Antennas | Internal or external | External | External | External |
Network Connection | Copper | Copper or Fiber | Fiber | Fiber |
Outdoor Rated | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Plenum Rated | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
ERA provides a range of access points to suit virtually any use case or venue.
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CommScope initiates a new ‘Era’ for In-building wireless
In-building wireless performance
CommScope ERA C-RAN antenna system
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