BeamCraft & BeamPlanner: 5G Network Solutions

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5G beamforming technology brings focus to 5G networks

5G networks are already revolutionizing the ways consumers live, work and play, and how enterprises are using emerging technologies to create the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

As powerful a technology as 5G is, it still needs to be “reined in” sometimes.

5G technology typically runs on wideband radio spectrum. That’s part of what allows it to carry such massive amounts of information at high speeds. It also means that 5G is prone to signal interference from other devices and may not always be able to penetrate into every location. That’s where beamforming technology comes in.

NEC’s BeamCraft and BeamPlanner™ help focus 5G signals to specific locations or devices and reduce interference, improving the reliability of the connection.

BeamCraft™

Supporting a variety of applications – from extending wide-area coverage to vertical beamforming and time-of-day beam steering – NEC’s BeamCraft portfolio of Coherent Massive MIMO products enable flexible network planning and deployment, a range of performance improvements, and increased network capacity.

Programmable, agile beams provide unparalleled accuracy by dynamically focusing spectrum power towards traffic hotspots and unserved or underserved areas -- avoiding or reducing interference, especially at the cell edge
Doubling the number of beams from 4 to 8, and supporting simultaneous beamforming over multiple frequency bands and multi standard deployments – including 3G/4G -- allows operators to deliver increased capacity with the same compact form factor
Built on HDAAS™ technology that enables run-time antenna calibration and synchronization with no service impact, BeamCraft products maintain RF coherency and provide unparalleled radio performance
Highly customizable to meet operators’ varying requirements for frequency bands (both FDD and TDD), form factors, weight and output power, BeamCraft products can also be equipped with optional integrated low-band passive antenna

BeamCraft 500

Provides instant capacity uplift to 4G LTE networks
Features 96 active antenna elements with a total maximum output power of 160W
Four-column panel measuring just 72” x 14” x 10” can be easily retrofitted into existing antenna locations on both towers and buildings, replacing exiting antenna and remote radio heads
Fully compatible with today’s LTE standards and existing mobile devices and supports main LTE frequency bands in use around the world (B4/66 AWS, B2 PCS and B3 DCS)

BeamCraft 600

Ideal for multi-band and multi-standard deployments
Doubling the number of beams from 4 to 8, and supporting simultaneous beamforming over multiple frequency bands and multi standard deployments -- including 3G/4G -- allows operators to deliver increased capacity with the same compact form factor

BeamPlanner™

BeamPlanner is a cloud-based planning, optimization and management software for beamforming antenna systems. Using artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) techniques to predict traffic patterns and optimize wireless capacity and coverage, BeamPlanner dynamically responds to traffic demand and directs RF energy toward hotspots while steering clear from signal interference.

BeamPlanner integrates seamlessly with a wireless carrier’s existing RF planning workflows
Not limited to pre-defined beam patterns, BeamPlanner calculates optimal beam shapes for every scenario, making it possible to address a variety of use cases, including vertical beamforming to address coverage issues common in high-rise buildings
Controlling beam power and shape allows the signal to reach users behind thick walls without excess interference in the surrounding area
With full programmability, BeamPlanner enables a true multi-dimensional radio operation to maximize user experience at special events or provide capacity based on time-of-day movement of mobile users
Virtualization of the network RF functions enables management and optimization of multi-site deployments for improved end-user experience and increased overall network capacity