Microwave Backhaul Antenna Saves Money

CommScope’s Sentinel, which it says is “one of the most significant innovations in Andrew Solutions microwave antenna technology,” addresses three challenges facing wireless operators: rapidly increasing data traffic, spectrum scarcity and return on investment.

Sentinel is believed to be the first full line of European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) Class 4 antennas.

An improved radiation pattern helps squeeze more out of available spectrum and typically yields 40-percent higher link density, the company says, adding, “The result is more capacity moving traffic between cellsites and the core network, helping lessen strain on the network and prevent impacts to performance. Higher radio-modulation schemes can be used and Sentinel can also minimize interference in the network.”

CommScope also says the Sentinel antennas are cost-efficient, allowing for smaller antennas to be deployed, which may provide savings in capital and operational expenses. The antenna also can withstand winds as strong as 155 miles per hour.

“Wireless network operators are facing serious issues related to network capacity and with the rollout of LTE, traffic growth projections are expected to climb,” explains Paul Bell, senior vice president/Microwave Antennas. “There’s so much that needs to be factored into an effective backhaul solution, but it all comes down to performance and long-term costs. In creating Sentinel, as with all our other backhaul solutions, we wanted to give our customers the best of both worlds and something that would support them today and in the years ahead.”