New beamforming technology promises 10x data rate increase

Irish-based start-up, Socowave, is claiming that its new active panel antenna (APA) technology can boost handset data rates by a factor of 10, and cut base station power consumption by up to 50 per cent.

The company, which was only formed last year, claims that these dramatic improvements can be achieved by directing beam energy preferentially towards the populated areas, instead of in simple omnidirectional circular pattern. Socowave estimates that its APA technology has an annual market potential of more than €2 billion

Socowave's founder, Joe Moore (ex-Motorola and Sigma Wireless), says: "Before now, the network had no way of knowing where the user's signal came from. and when service deteriorated could not take corrective actions to improve the reception. Now, with users spread across an area, the network can actively optimise the wireless link to each user and do so even if they are all on-the-move and reception conditions are changing."

While not disclosing how its APA technology worked, the company confirmed that its approach is based upon a base station system architecture that is controlled digitally over a fibre optic cable that incorporates enabling technology licensed from the University of Ireland and University College Dublin.

For more on the story:
EE Times

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