CommScope has introduced its Argus UltraBand, which company claims is "the world’s first ultra-wideband antenna system capable of supporting the four major air-interface standards in almost any wireless frequency range." The company says UltraBand antenna enables operators to reduce the number of antennas in their networks, lowering tower leasing costs while increasing speed to market capability.
CommScope notes that every iteration of wireless technology typically requires operators to deploy new antenna equipment in their networks. Towers get cluttered with multiple antennas while installation and maintenance become more complicated. The UltraBand platform helps solve this problem by supporting multiple frequency bands and technology standards from one antenna. For example, operators will be able to deploy LTE in 2.6 GHz and 700 MHz while supporting W-CDMA in 2.1 GHz—all from the same antenna.
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Deploying the UltraBand may save wireless operators time and expenses during forthcoming technology rollouts, according to Philip Sorrells, vice president, Strategic Marketing, Wireless, at CommScope.
“The UltraBand antenna is a dynamic, future-ready solution for launching a high performance wireless network with multiple air interface technologies using multiple frequency bands,” says Sorrells. “The ability to deploy a flexible, scalable and independently optimized antenna technology simplifies the network while providing the operator with the maximum degree of future-ready capacity.”
The UltraBand antenna system is optimized for high performance in capacity-sensitive, data-driven systems, says the company. The UltraBand antenna utilizes pattern shaping technologies pioneered by Argus, a specialist in antenna technology that in 2011 became part of CommScope and its Andrew portfolio of global wireless solutions.
The new antenna system supports MIMO implementation for advanced capacity solutions. “UltraBand is extremely versatile, ready to support multiple bands now and in the future as new standards and bands emerge,” adds Sorrells. “UltraBand protects operators from some of the uncertainty inherent in wireless technology evolution.”
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CommScope introduced in January 2012 its first ultra-wideband antenna, capable of supporting four higher frequency bands used in cellular systems. The new UltraBand antenna system provides a multi-band solution, adding five lower frequency bands to support a total of nine frequency bands across the wireless spectrum: US700, EU Digital Dividend, US cellular and GSM900 for the lower bands and DCS1800, PCS, AWS, 3G, and WiMax for the higher bands.
CommScope believes UltraBand is the first antenna capable of supporting nine frequency bands for all four air-interface standards: GSM, CDMA, W-CDMA and LTE. CommScope also offers a complete portfolio of RF Path solutions including diplexer, triplexer and filter products for deploying multiple technologies and bands at the same site.
CommScope’s first UltraBand model is a 10-port, 2.5 meter version, available now.
