Antenna Systems & Technology - Winter 2013 - (Page 12)

FEATURE ARTICLE Optimizing Cell and Tower Sites During the Data Explosion Ben Stump, Chief Technology Officer - Westell The growth of data traffic globally has been astounding; 2012 alone had more data traffic than all previous years combined. This growth will continue to be extremely strong for several years with the increase in application usage such as video, machine-to-machine (M2M) connections, gaming, browsing the Internet, checking social media and text messaging. Smartphone penetration and adoption combined with increased download speeds to 3G and 4G are strong contributors to the increased popularity and growth globally, and with this, mobile device users not only expect but often demand high quality service regardless of their physical location. This is leading service providers and tower operators to review and expand their infrastructure in new ways. Optimizing cell and tower site coverage and availability is critical to maintaining reliable service that is always available, and to keep customers happy. Intelligent site management, distributed antenna systems (DASs) management and tower mounted amplifiers (TMAs) improve a user's experience without the expense of building new cell sites/base stations. Distributed Antenna Systems Communications quality is often reduced in high usage/high demand areas such as stadiums, office buildings, hotels, large metropolitan areas, airports and hospitals. Imagine 25,000 people at a sporting event all trying to send text messages or streaming videos at the same time. This puts a strain on the quality and availability of the "traditional" wireless network. 12 Antenna Systems & Technology Winter 2013 www.AntennasOnline.com http://www.AntennasOnline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Antenna Systems & Technology - Winter 2013

Editor’s Choice
LTE's MIMO Requirement Strengthens the Need for Active Antenna Systems
Optimizing Cell and Tower Sites During the Data Explosion
Improve Passive Intermodulation Performance with Specialty High-Frequency Circuit Materials
Next Generation Wireless: Riding on the Back of Millimeter Waves
Antennas
Components/Subsystems
Test & Measurement
Marketplace
Industry News

Antenna Systems & Technology - Winter 2013