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Use your spectrum in the best way

Use your spectrum in the best way

Boost capacity in microwave networks

As the capacity demands increase with 5G expanding in dense urban, suburban, and rural areas, higher backhaul capacities are needed. There are many ways to increase capacity, via software, additional hardware and spectrum.

The Microwave backhaul capacity can easily be boosted via software, e.g., by increasing the modulation, using adaptive modulation, wider channels, adding another carrier with carrier aggregation (if the hardware supports it), and using header compression. By adding a  radio with a second polarization and XPIC, a doubling of the capacity is achieved. Setting up a 4+0 hop using two radios with Carrier aggregation will increase your capacity dramatically. MIMO can be another alternative if the spectrum is more limited. A Multi-band set up with two different traditional frequencies is also possible, even if E-band will give you the best boost. More information about E-band and multi-band is available under Multi-band booster.

increased modulation

Carrier aggregation

MINI-LINK carrier aggregation

A 1T1R microwave radio, like MINI-LINK 6365 and MINI-LINK 6364 with carrier aggregation, supports two different channels simultaneously, instead of only one. You double the capacity with the same tower footprint as the radio with one channel. You can start by using one channel, and when the capacity needs increase, you add the second channel via software. It is available for 2x28 up to 2x112MHz in the traditional microwave frequency bands, 6 to 42GHz, and the channels can be adjacent or non-adjacent.

Similarly, a 2T2R radio, like MINI-LINK 6321, with carrier aggregation, supports four channels instead of two, saving on size and power consumption.

Adjacent channels

What are the key benefits of carrier aggregation?

Double the capacity
  • Up to 2.5 Gbps with one 1T1R radio, 5 Gbps with a 2T2R radio.
  • Expand via software
  • Excellent tool when wider channels are not available
Minimize outdoor installation
  • 4 carriers in one 2T2R radio – two radio cables
  • 2 carriers in a 1T1R radio – one radio cable



Save on power consumption
  • Up to 50% savings on power consumption.

 

 



 

Using carrier aggregation with 4+0

When E-band is not an option, you can expand up to 5 Gbps by using 4+0, that is four channels over the same hop. This can be achieved by using MINI-LINK 6321, a 2T2R radio with carrier aggregation, enabling 4+0 and up to 5 Gbps in a single box. This quad-carrier solution will enable high capacity while minimizing footprint and power consumption. You can also use two MINI-LINK 6365 with Carrier aggregation in a 4+0 hop.

MINI-LINK 6365 high capacity hub site with several 4+0 microwave links

Multi-band booster

MINI-LINK Multi-band site in Europe

Multi-band booster for 5G: by extending the E-band reach

Microwave has many ways of increasing capacity on existing sites and deliver high capacity to new sites. One of these methods is using multi-band booster, a flexible way of catering for the 5G Transport requirements. By combining high-capacity frequencies, like E-band, with lower frequencies with higher availability and hop-length, in one hop, Multi-band booster delivers the best out of two worlds.

Time to bring 5G to everyone?

5G is being deployed in many parts of the world, starting in the dense urban areas. Some countries are already also implementing 5G in the suburbs, which makes high capacities and low TCO required in many different types of sites. At existing sites, that need more capacity, an E-band node can be added, making the hop a multi-band hop with up to 10 times more capacity. Ericsson has Multi-band booster solutions for all types of sites. For end and repeater sites, the MINI-LINK 6651/4 enables up to 20 Gbps, with 10 Gbps hops in 2 directions. If the indoor space is limited, the all outdoor MINI-LINK 6371 is your choice with 10 Gbps in 2 directions. For a hub site requiring as much as 40 Gbps, the MINI-LINK 6693 together with our latest modem MMU 1005, is the perfect fit, with 10 Gbps links in 4 directions. When very high capacity is needed in one direction our E-band nodes MINI-LINK 6355/56, with 25 Gbps capacities combined with three 25 GE interfaces, offers unmatched multi-band performance and flexibility.

Space in the tower?

Multi-band means using several frequencies over the same backhaul hop. Normally this would mean using several antennas, creating a higher site rental cost, or there might just not be any space left for an additional antenna. The multi-band antennas allow several frequencies over the same antenna eliminating these problems. If you are expanding an existing traditional hop with e.g., E-band, you add the new E-band radio, keep the traditional radio, and change the antenna to a multi-band antenna, with a nominal increase in size. We have a large range of Multi-band antenna sizes, from 0.3-0.6m for the higher frequency combinations, and 1.2 -3.7m antennas for combining lower frequencies.

Space in the tower

What do service providers say?

"It is apparent that E-band, as standalone or in Multi-band solutions, is an excellent way to handle the required 5G capacities, and to support the quick roll-out of 5G in both urban and suburban areas in the German market." - Simon Baumeister & Axel Lauer, Transport Networks, Telefonica, Germany

What is multi-band booster?


Multi-band booster combines the best characteristics of different frequency bands to boost capacities, unleashing the use of higher frequencies, like E-band, over longer distances and much wider geographical areas. Multi-band booster uses a low-band radio to provide a high-availability connection and combines it with a higher band that provides a significant increase in capacity, but with a slightly lower availability. This is perfect way to extend the reach of E-band up to 3 times, or boost the capacity of a traditional band by 10 times.

multiband booster

Key benefits

Boosts capacities and spectrum use
Multi-band booster uses a low band radio to provide high availability in combination with a higher band providing up to 10 times more capacity.
Maximizes E-band hop length
Multi-band booster makes it possible to extend the hop length of the E-band up to 3 times compared to a single E-band hop. This means E-band can be used not just in dense urban areas, but also in suburban areas over longer distances.
Minimizes TCO
The spectrum license for new bands like the E-band (70/80 GHz) are often priced very low compared to traditional bands. The spectrum cost can be reduced by up to 75%.

Try it out

In this tool you can combine different frequencies, channel bandwidth, rain zones and hop length, and see how this effects the capacity and availability of the Multi-band booster hop.

Further reading

Sway compensation antennas, your E-band friend, with benefits

Sway compensation antennas, your E-band friend, with benefits

What’s the secret to high-capacity, long-distance E-band links? It’s simple: high-gain antennas. Sometimes they are known for causing headaches to link planners as their narrow beams require a stable tower or mast. In this blog post, we dive into the challenges of deploying E-band antennas, reveal why some towers behave like flowers, and explore new opportunities offered by sway compensation antennas.

Busting the biggest myths around microwave transport

Busting the biggest myths around microwave transport

In this Tech Unveiled our experts unveil and bust myths around microwave transport. Many believe that microwave as a 5G transport solution is limited in terms of capacity and low latency. Join us as we investigate these misconceptions and provide knowledge needed to make transport decisions.

Telefónica Germany’s perspective on using E-band for 5G

Telefónica Germany’s perspective on using E-band for 5G

Telefónica Germany finds it apparent that E-band is excellent for handling speedy roll-outs of 5G in urban and suburban areas.

Lessons learned from a decade with E-band

Lessons learned from a decade with E-band

E-band is increasing in importance with the arrival of 5G and its demand for high capacity. During the recent years of commercial deployment, a number of insights have been gained that will facilitate the future use of E-band.

Deutsche Telekom, Cosmote and Ericsson look beyond 100GHz to boost 5G backhaul capacity

Deutsche Telekom, Cosmote and Ericsson look beyond 100GHz to boost 5G backhaul capacity

As 5G deployments scale up, so does the need for capacity. Communications service providers need additional spectrum to expand the reach of their 5G services. Ericsson has partnered with Deutsche Telekom and Cosmote to trial and test an answer to the challenge – using W-band as 5G backhaul spectrum.

Energy efficiency

Radio deep sleep is an energy saving function that totally shuts down one or several radio units in a Radio Link configuration (2+0 and 4+0) when the radio is not needed. The function switches of the DC power of the radio units, in a specified time window every day. All carriers except one carrier can be put into deep sleep.  The user can decide what carriers to put into deep sleep. This is especially important if different frequencies are used in a multi-band link, since a higher frequency will have lower availability, it is advised to always keep a carrier with the lowest frequency band awake. It will also be possible to configure a threshold level to awaken the carriers during the deep sleep window, to ascertain not to lose any traffic when the capacity is needed.

With an 8h deep sleep window, Radio deep sleep will save 17% and 25% of the radio power consumption for  2+0 and 4+0 respectively.

To save additional power consumption, Traffic-aware power save (TAPS) could be activated in parallel to Radio deep sleep to save additional 8% to 10% of radio power consumption.

MINI-LINK 6321 capacity
25.00 %
Save up to 25% of radio power consumption in a 4+0 hop with 8h Radio deep sleep
33.00 %
Save up to 33% radio power consumption by adding Traffic-aware power save, TAPS

Unlock scalable energy savings with AI-driven Radio Deep Sleep

Communication service providers aiming to reduce operational expenditures and meet sustainability goals can leverage the Ericsson Transport Automation Controller to automate energy-saving features like Radio Deep Sleep across their microwave networks. By utilizing AI-driven traffic prediction and closed-loop optimization, the transport controller intelligently schedules sleep windows for MINI-LINK radios during low-traffic periods, effectively powering down selected carriers without compromising service quality, and unlocking substantial energy savings. The Transport Automation Controller enables communications service providers to implement these efficiencies at scale, contributing to lower carbon footprints and more sustainable 5G transport infrastructure and network operations.

Explore more
Unlock scalable energy savings with AI-driven Radio Deep Sleep

Read more about our microwave offerings

MINI-LINK 6000

MINI LINK 6000

Ericsson’s market leading, powerful and cost efficient microwave radio system bringing up to 10Gbps capacity with superior performance to 5G NR sites where time to market and cost are factors . All the products in MINI LINK 6000 can be used with Multi band booster.

MINI-LINK 6000 brochure

MINI-LINK 6000 brochure

Enabling 5G Transport everywhere.

Want to know more?

Contact our sales team

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