How advanced antennas can meet diverse needs in Africa and the Middle East

Cutting-edge research, engineering and technological advancements have brought antennas a long way in recent years – an evolution we covered in depth in our recent post on how antenna evolution is shaping the future of networks. We’ve shared a range of exciting examples of how antenna technology is helping elevate advanced networks. But what is often overlooked is how it can be leveraged to meet customer needs at every stage of their telecom journeys.

In 20 years at Ericsson, I've seen both ends of the technology and market spectrums, and everything in between. I've been involved in bringing connectivity to the remotest communities with no commercial power, working to bridge the digital divide. I've also helped customers in bustling cities push the frontiers of innovation in 5G, delivering the latest technologies to industries, businesses and tech-loving consumers alike.

Nowhere are these extremes so clearly demonstrated as in the Middle East and Africa, where I’ve worked for years, on and off, over my time at Ericsson. As a civilian pilot, I’ve also been fortunate enough to fly over these vastly differing landscapes and witness first-hand the breathtaking uniqueness they offer. These have combined to give me a unique perspective on the different situations found in this diverse region – and their markets.

As a civilian pilot, Ahmed Ibrahim has gained a unique perspective on the diversity of the Middle Eastern and African landscapes.

Much like the different flying conditions I've experienced, these situations each have specific challenges and needs that communication service providers (CSPs) are trying to address. By breaking the telecom journey down into three stages, we can easily explore these unique situations – and how antennas can be adapted to help navigate them and reach new heights.

 

 

 

Stage one: preparing for takeoff in emerging markets

This stage represents emerging markets in the early phases of their telecom journey, where the delivery of basic connectivity services is the central goal. This often includes more remote locations where commercial power availability is limited, making energy consumption and efficiency crucial. Seasonal, geographic or infrastructure conditions also offer challenges here, for example by impacting access to sites for troubleshooting and maintenance.

Another important element for this category is cost sensitivity. Purchasing power for investment in equipment is often limited, while a lower average revenue per user (ARPU) makes affordability a major factor for telecom devices and services. While mobile subscriptions and 5G adoption are expected to grow in the coming years, the latest Ericsson Mobility Report shows that 2G will maintain a share of 27 percent in Sub-Saharan Africa by 2029. This clearly reflects stage one demands which will need ongoing technological support in the years ahead.

Tailored antennas reducing turbulence

Much like navigating bad weather conditions in a small aircraft, at this stage every decision and adjustment is critical to get the best performance and value possible out of every piece of equipment and investment – including energy. This is where antenna solutions can help. At Ericsson Antenna System, we’re innovating and using precision engineering to develop solutions and capabilities that can be adapted to meet a range of needs.

For example, while a stage one CSP might not be thinking about maximizing their uplink and downlink throughput (yet), their antennas could still benefit from the same cutting-edge technology. Instead of maximizing throughput, they could control and manage it, helping to reduce or limit power consumption in situations where availability is limited – or to help lower costs, reducing power consumption by up to 29 percent from the passive antenna alone.

These aren’t the only ways advanced antenna technology can help CSPs ‘sweat’ their assets to gain the most value from their investments – just look at adaptations that help build resilience in demanding conditions. Ericsson Antenna System solutions can, for example, be tailored to perform even under extreme heat or wind loads, or even to enable remote antenna management for otherwise inaccessible locations.

Stage two: the flight path toward 5G

Stage two is further along in the telecom evolution and the main challenges have likewise evolved. At this level, basic connectivity has been secured, but quality of service becomes more important as offering new services and capturing revenue streams play a larger role. 4G is the dominant technology in this category today, though ambitions are fixed toward technological advancement and 5G uptake.

Cost is still an important factor at this stage – CSPs are operating in a challenging economic environment, after all. However, the focus is more on making strategic investments and choices to improve performance and efficiency in a cost-effective and energy-efficient way.

Leveraging technology for a future-proof strategy

To continue our piloting analogy, this stage is more like multi-stop or long-haul flying. Careful route planning and efficiency are key. Upgrading your equipment strategically to meet new cargo or passenger needs is also essential if you want to reach your destination – generating more business and income for future growth.

This future- and growth-focused approach is an ideal situation for tailored antenna solutions to have a significant impact. As we discussed in our previous blog post on antenna evolution, with growing traffic needs and uplink throughput an emerging priority, CSPs looking to offer new services and ensure quality need to invest in future-proofed antenna solutions which offer the right kind of frequency bands, coverage, and carrier aggregation capabilities to support their network evolution going forward.

When it comes to efficiency, in addition to the 29 percent reduction in energy consumption mentioned earlier (a real savings of more than 4716 kWh/year per site), the same benchmark test showed the Ericsson antenna also delivered 7.5 percent higher traffic volume per kWh than the closest competitor.

Stage three: reaching new altitudes

At stage three we reach new heights at the pinnacle of the telecom market – the leaders pioneering in 5G Advanced, paving the way to 6G and the technologies of tomorrow. At this level, competition is the fuel pushing demand for outstanding quality and experience as CSPs look to gain an advantage in the market. This could be by offering new services like support for immersive technologies like augmented reality, or by being among the fastest networks in the world.

Environmental sustainability, being a core value for many consumers and partners, also has a role to play here. In this space, energy efficiency becomes not only about saving power and costs, but also reducing carbon emissions to reduce the negative environmental impact of their offerings. It also contributes to meeting regulations or other sustainability goals and commitments.

Precision engineering helping top-tier leaders soar

While flying at this altitude may seem like chartering a private jet in (mostly) clear skies compared to the earlier stages, when it comes to being the best of the best, new challenges come into play. We’re entering the realms of aerospace, like trying to break the sound barrier or travel faster than the speed of light. Advanced technology and top-quality equipment are essential at this level for achieving record-breaking performance – not just once, but time after time.

It’s here that each new technological and engineering innovation enables higher levels of efficiency and performance than ever before. Take beam efficiency – an area of Ericsson innovation which ensures the energy being radiated from the antenna is targeted more accurately to where coverage is needed. This can have a real impact, with an 11 percent improvement in beam efficiency resulting in an 18 percent downlink and 21 percent uplink improvement in user throughput in dense urban scenarios, according to a recent technology paper on antenna efficiency.

Then there’s the potential of noise reduction. In our , for example, the Ericsson antenna leveraged its superior Signal to Interference Noise Ratio (SINR) to deliver higher downlink and uplink throughput. The same benchmark trial recorded significantly better coverage and reduced power consumption resulting in a 35 percent improvement in consumer battery duration – a strong edge for a competitive CSP looking to reduce customer churn.

Finally, when thinking about futuristic developments, it’s hard not to mention our revolutionary honeycomb structure. Delivering a 49 percent lower embodied carbon footprint, due to a lighter structure and fully recyclable radome, it represents a significant step towards the materials and components of tomorrow.

 

Technology helping society seek a brighter horizon

Having worked (and flown) in these regions, it's impossible to discuss them without emphasizing the factors that had the most lasting impact on me – the environments and people. The benefits technological developments offer for CSPs are often top of the agenda in business discussions. However, it's important not to overlook the positive effects they can also have on the quality of human lives and society. We touched on environmental sustainability earlier from the CSP perspective – but the impacts reach beyond corporate goals.

Improving network efficiency and lowering the carbon footprint of the network equipment (end-to-end, from production and delivery to across the lifecycle) mean reducing energy consumption, and less carbon emissions. This in turn helps to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change such as extreme weather events and disruptions to food and water supplies, protecting human communities and ecosystems - even more crucial in remote and climate-vulnerable areas.

Protecting the well-being of people and economies

Reducing harmful emissions can also improve air quality, leading to fewer respiratory and cardiovascular diseases, less illness, lower healthcare costs and an overall improvement in health and well-being for the public and the workforce.

The economic benefits of energy and cost savings associated with efficient networks are also significant. Reduced network costs can lead to increased investments, improving economic security. The propagation of novel technical solutions from the telecommunications industry to other sectors can even have a ripple effect, improving sustainability in other branches of the economy.

Investment in advanced antennas and networks isn't just a future-proof business decision - it's also an investment for the connectedness, sustainability and wellbeing of generations to come.

Choosing the right runway to success

It’s clear that when it comes to telecom infrastructure and antennas, technology and innovation can help at every stage of your journey. Whether you’re keeping basic communication services connected or delivering the world’s best 5G networks, tailored antenna solutions can help meet your specific challenges, needs and goals – and even have wider-reaching positive effects than you'd realized.

And remember, if you need air traffic control or a navigation aid to help plot your course to clear skies – we’re always here to help.

Learn more

• Find out more about what Ericsson Antenna System has to offer.
• Learn more about how antenna evolution is shaping the future of networks.
• Read the recent antenna benchmark report.
• Discover the seven tenets of a modern antenna strategy.
• Step into the future, with Ericsson’s vision for antenna systems in the era of 6G.