Millimeter wave (mmW) wireless backhaul at 60 GHz, full dimension multiple input multiple output (FD-MIMO), and mmWave mobile radio access are three of the technologies that Samsung Electronics will demonstrate during Mobile World Congress 2015 in Barcelona this week.
Each of these technologies will pave the way to 5G, the company says. "We consider 5G to be a transformation of how networks are constructed and how radio resources are used," said Chang Yeong Kim, head of DMC R&D Center at Samsung Electronics, in a release. "To support 100 times greater throughputs at a fraction of the latency, we need to consider more than just a single network component; we need to look at how everything works together. At the same time, the evolution toward 5G must be an incremental process, introducing new technologies in the short- and mid-term that can be tried, tested and proven on commercial networks."
Samsung says it is rapidly nearing commercialization of a wireless backhaul solution using 60 GHz spectrum that promises to support speeds of multi-Gbps. Samsung's approach combines active and passive radio steering techniques to increase the effective range of a radio without exceeding the power output limits that exist in unlicensed bands throughout the world.
An active antenna array enables a beamformed radio signal to be directed at a passive lens antenna, which further focuses the radio signal toward a fixed point--similar to a contact lens focusing light into the retina of the eye, the company explains. By actively focusing the radio signal into a precise and highly accurate beam, the solution overcomes many of the environmental issues that affect communications in the 60 GHz band.
The technology is initially intended to target flexible small cell deployments, where wireline backhaul may be expensive or impractical.
With the introduction of FD-MIMO and 2D-array antenna technology, wireless signals can be adaptively beamformed to specific users in both horizontal and vertical domains, Samsung says. With the adoption of advanced digital signal processing schemes, an FD-MIMO antenna system can support higher-order multi-user MIMO (MU-MIMO), which delivers a multifold improvement in system performance compared to conventional MIMO systems.
The technology is ultimately designed to deliver a unique, targeted radio signal to more than eight users in a cell at a time. FD-MIMO systems also provide capabilities to enable support for new deployment and operational scenarios, such as high-rise building support and multiple user services in crowded malls and stadiums.
In October 2014, Samsung announced the "world's first successful test" of mobile millimeter wave radio technology, establishing a throughput of 1.2 Gbps at 100 km/h and establishing a record for stationary communications of 7.5 Gbps.
At this week's MWC, Samsung also plans to team with SK Telecom to demonstrate 3D beamforming using mmW frequency bands to transmit data at 7.55 Gbps.
Samsung will showcase of several improvements to carrier aggregation (CA) technology, including FDD-TDD CA, Uplink CA, 4×4 MIMO with CA and CA using unlicensed spectrum (commonly known as LTE-Unlicensed, or License Assisted Access), as well as LTE-Wi-Fi throughput aggregation.
For more:
- see this Samsung release
Editor's Corner: Why wait? Unleash spectrum for mmW now
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