White Paper

Advanced Microwave Antenna Designs Address Growing

Capacity and Cost Challenges
This paper focuses on a Microwave point-to-point backhaul antenna
solution that addresses the multiple and simultaneous challenges of ca-
pacity, coverage, and costs faced by todays wireless operators. It also
explores the cost and scarcity of available spectrum and how it can be
more effectively and protably utilized with Sentinel antennas, a new
CommScope backhaul solution with extremely low sidelobe levels.
The information presented in this document is based on analytical
and network analysis of real mobile backhaul scenarios, using the
iQ.link
XG

link planning software tool from Comsearch

. Sentinel

microwave antennas clearly demonstrate signicant cost savings,
reliability improvements and capacity enhancement in the mobile back-
haul domain. Operators, OEMs, link planners and regulators alike can
all realize signicant advantages with Sentinel microwave antennas.
Todays Challenges
Figure 1: Todays stakeholder challenges
The fast-growing demand for fast, reliable communication,
as well as for new mobile and cellular services drive
ongoing challenges to industries, universities and R&D labs
to search mobile backhaul technologies that can provide:
A) Effective, efcient ways to grow coverage at lower
CAPEX and OPEX
B) Effective, efcient ways to grow capacity at lower CAPEX
and OPEX
Both the development speed and breadth of adoption of
new technologies are critical components to any solution to
the increasing challenges of coverage, capacity and cost
the three legs of C
3
solutions (Fig. 1).
Todays Challenges to Antenna Manufacturers
Accepting these general objectives in principle is one
thing, but achieving them in practice presents signicant
challenges for all. Operators, regulators, planners and
system manufacturers have three main questions for antenna
manufacturers about any new antenna solutions:
1. Capacity: How can we use our spectrum more efciently,
allowing more links within a spectrum or, conversely,
minimizing spectrum requirement for a given number
of links?
2. Coverage: Can we reduce outages due to multipath and
selective fading to improve target annual reliability and
future-proof links?
3. Cost: Can new technology translate to smaller antennas that
combat harmful interference and reduce both CAPEX and
OPEX of each link?
The theoretical maximum capacity of a communication link
is dened by Shannons Law, which clearly indicates that it
depends upon channel bandwidth (B) and carrier-to-noise ratio
(C/N), which is total received signal level to noise level ratio,
as described mathematically below.
Shannons law indicates that the capacity of a channelwhich
is basically a measure of the channels ability to convey data
can be increased by increasing the bandwidth, increasing the
signals power and reducing receiver noise. But spectrum crunch
places limits on bandwidth expansion.
Today, in the era of digital communication, information ows as
a group of bits, called symbols, so it is important to encapsulate
the maximum number of bits in symbols. These symbols ride on
higher frequency signals called carriers and, at the receiver, it is
important to extract the information with minimum generation of
noise. As a result, modulation and encoding schemes, reduced
signal noise and accurate extraction of signal information all
matter a great deal.
In a typical microwave point-to-point link, the carrier power or
received signal level for a given link can be increased either
by transmitting more power, by using higher-gain antenna or by
increasing the sensitivity of receiver. The received signal level
(RSL) uctuation depends upon the condition of the radio link,
including changing weather conditions in the area.
It is important to remember that in the microwave mobile
backhaul domain, multiple links operate side by side,
introducing the risk of interference (I) that must be included in
any calculation of noise for link planning purposes as the carrier-
to-interference ratio (C/I).
An antennas radiation pattern envelope (RPE) is the
characteristic that determines the effect of interference on the
link. The RPE is a mask around the antennas radiation pattern,
indicating the envelope of the lobes from -180 to +180
degrees. RPEs are important in mapping links that dont create
problematic interference with each other; hence, they are strictly
regulated for compliance.
Sentinel

is a new antenna solution from CommScope, featuring

exceptional performance characteristics in a smaller form factor.
For example, the RPE of a conventional, ETSI Class 3-compliant
2 ft. (0.6 m) antenna is contrasted below with the RPE of a
similarly sized Class 4-compliant Sentinel

antenna. Note
Sentinels extremely low sidelobe levels, indicating low risk of
interference (Fig. 2).
Capacity
Capacity = B x Log
2 (
1+
)
C
N
B - Channel BW C - Carrier Power (RSL) N - Noise in RX
R
Capacity = B x Log
2 (
1+
)
C
N+I
Conclusion 1:
For efcient communication, operators need an antenna
with low risk of interference.
1 www.commscope/andrew.com
Cost
Capacity
C
3
Coverage
2 www.commscope/andrew.com
Sentinel

microwave antennas not only meet ETSI Class 4

specicationsthe most demanding ETSI RPE specications
for point-to-point antennasthey also exceed all regulatory
requirements applied to current microwave antennas, such as
specications published by FCC, SRSP, ANATEL and others.
This RPE advantage can be demonstrated on all other Sentinel

antennas of different sizes and frequencies. This is because
Sentinel

technology is not based on earlier concepts that rely

on complex offset geometries and large structures for tighter RPE
sidelobes. Sentinel

is an axis-symmetric design that provides

superior interference resistance in a small footprint.
In order to maximise the capacity of the microwave link,
adaptive coding and modulation (ACM) is also getting lot
of attention. ACM is a feature of a radio link that allows it to
change its modulation scheme in reaction to changing link
conditions. Higher modulation schemes can support high-
capacity, low-priority trafc; lower modulation schemes are
suited to low-capacity, high-priority services such as voice
transmission.
How much modulation is applied depends on several link
characteristics and conditions:
Radio capabilities
Propagation scenarioweather and fading conditions
Interference conditions
Error performance and target availability percentage
Again, interference emerges as a key factor in determining the
level of appropriate modulation. And while higher modulation
supports more trafc, it also demands a higher C/I ratio.
This means that reduced interference opens the opportunity to
higher capacity within existing spectrum via higher modulation
schemes. To achieve the requisite level of interference control,
low sidelobe levels such as those offered by Sentinel

antennas
must be used.
Conclusion 2:
CommScopes advanced Sentinel backhaul antennas offer
lowered risk of interference.
Conclusion 3:
Sentinels high C/I ratio enhances capacity in both
conventional and ACM networks.
Figure 2: Sentinel

an antenna solution with extremely low

sidelobes
We all know that wireless data usage is growing. New,
bandwidth-hungry applications appear daily, demanding ever-
more spectrum to operate. The bands between 6 GHz and 42
GHz, as well as 60 GHz and 80 GHz, are used for the mobile
backhaul domain and theyre lling up fast. As with any scarce
commodity, spectrum use comes down to nding newer, more
efcient ways to handle a nite amount of resources to derive
the largest benet for operators and users alike.
In a typical mobile backhaul network infrastructure, a node
is connected to different sites, as shown below in gure 3.
Antennas with low sidelobe levels will allow reuse of the same
frequency channel several times at the same site, in different
directions.
The Effective Utilization of Spectrum
The channels reuse factor will depend on two main variables:
the antennas radiation pattern envelope (RPE), and the required
interference attenuation between adjacent links.
Consider for example a node in a star network and the
maximum number of links it can support by reusing the same
frequency channels in the 23 GHz band. If were using 2 ft.
antennas with required attenuation in co-channel hops of 40 dB,
we can see in the graph below the possible angular separation
between links with antennas of varying ETSI classications,
which dene their sidelobe levels (Fig. 4).
Figure 4: Example of antenna RPEs with different ETSI classications
Figure 3: A node of
typical mobile backhaul
network
3 www.commscope/andrew.com
The frequency reuse factor, or the maximum number of links that
can be used in the same frequency channel, on a node with
antennas having different sidelobe levels are shown in Figure
5. It is important to remember that the improvement factor will
depend upon the scenario of each independent network.
When the initial spectrum crunch and the growing threat posed
by interference was felt several years ago, industry demand
changed from ESTI Class 2 antennas to ETSI Class 3 for mobile
backhaul network, with the improvements described in the
table below.
By a similar token, Sentinel

Class 4 antennas represents a

quantum leap in efciency over conventional Class 3 antennas.
In fact, about three times as many links may be deployed in the
same channel without interference problems. Sentinel

therefore
represents a remarkable dual opportunity:
1. Increases performance by boosting maximum frequency
reuse by a factor of 3, and
2. Reduces costs by lowering spectrum requirements over a
given number of links by two thirds.
These gures have been validated with IQ.Link
XG

, Comsearchs
network planning software, on a 23 GHz network using 753
links with similar radios but with varying capacities of 2E1,
4E1, 8E1 and 17E1. Interference analysis was performed over
a 100 km radius with one subdivided 28 MHz channel. Both
vertical and horizontal polarizations were used. Terrain data of
5 m and 20 m was included in the study. The results:
Run 1: Using only conventional Class 3 2 ft. (0.6 m)
antennas, 70 of 753 links worked.
Run 2: Sentinel

2 ft. (0.6 m) antennas were substituted in

all links that failed run 1, yielding an additional 97 working
links.
Run 3: Re-running all links that failed Run 2 after assigning
Sentinel

to the entire network, yielding another 39 working

links, raising effectiveness from 70 to 206a three-fold
improvement in working links.
These results are consistent with analytical model results. With
Sentinel

antennas, a larger number of links can operate within

a given spectrum.
In an another case study of a different complex 23 GHz
network topology rst running with 2 ft. ETSI Class 3 antennas
and then with Sentinel

Class 4 antennas, IQ.Link

XG

demonstrated that 30% to 40% more links can be assigned and
use about 42% less spectrum with Sentinel

antennas regardless
of the number of 28 MHz available channels, as shown below
in Table 1.
Channels Class 3 Class 4 % Improvement
1 136 190 39.7
2 241 323 34.0
3 321 449 39.9
4 382 493 29.1
With less spectrum needed for any particular link, The
inescapable conclusion is that Sentinel

delivers signicant
operational advantages on both sides of the performance/cost
equation.
Table 1: The incremental improvement from Class 3 to Class 4
relative to number of channels
Conclusion 4:
Sentinel represents the potential for huge spectrum cost
saving for operators.
Conclusion 5:
Sentinel ensures effective utilization of spectrum for operators,
planners and regulators.
Coverage
A wireless links path reliability is calculated by determining
the fade margins required to counteract multipath and selective
fading. The minimum C/I ratio required by the modem is
determined by the performance objects set for it and the fade
margin assumed in planning. In a typical wireless network
such as the one shown below, if the main channel is faded but
interference is constant, then its C/I ratio will vary (Fig. 6).
Figure 6: Link outages due to fading
Figure 5: Example of maximum frequency reuse factor,
demonstrating large potential cost savings
4 www.commscope/andrew.com
Conclusion 6
Sentinel is a coverage reliability guarantor.
In this case, the received signal level (RSL) may reach the
receivers threshold, causing the bit error rate (BER) of a digital
link to increase signicantly and result in a link outage. These
outages can be avoided by using antennas such Sentinel

which have a minimal risk of interference.
Cost
The reduced OPEX that comes with more efcient use of
spectrum has already been demonstrated in Figure 4. However,
there are other savings opportunities to be had with Sentinel

technology. For example, operators and planners often solve
the problem of interference in networks by using larger and
heavier antennas than originally planned, raising both CAPEX
and OPEX. Consider this realistic scenario, validated by
network planning software.
Figure 7: Example of the greater C/I ratio improvement with
smaller Sentinel

antenna instead of larger Class 3 option

Figure 7 shows the 2 ft. (0.6 m) 23 GHz Class 2 antenna
as one proposed solution for site D. There exists a risk of
interference from site B, already in operation, so the objective
is to improve the C/I ratio over link DE. The traditional Class
3 solution would be to use a 4 ft. (1.2 m) antenna instead,
improving C/I by 68 dB. However, the second option is to
replace with a 2 ft. (0.6 m) Sentinel

Class 4 antenna, which

actually delivers superior C/I ratio improvement of 14 dB.
This kind of interference scenario is a common challenge for
network planners, particularly in areas with high densities of
microwave links. In Figure 8, you can see this premise tested in
a realistic 23 GHz network using iQ.link
XG

.
In this case, the new AB link is 5.83 km long. The operator
plans the link with 4 QAM radios and 2 ft. (0.6 m) 23 GHz
Class 3 antennas currently available in the market. Using the
latest ITU-recommended propagation models and checking the
link unavailability due to rain as well as outage from multipath
and selective fading, it is determined that this link barely meets
the Operators target annual reliability of 99.998%.
A detailed interference analysis between this new link and an
existing link that is licensed and operating in the environment,
reveals a case of potentially harmful interference. The iQ.link
XG

analysis shown below demonstrates that against the required
C/I objective of 23 dB only 19.12 dB is achievedwhich
means site B will experience 2.1 dB of degradation to its
threshold and therefore to its fade margin.
Figure 8: The iQ.link
XG

interference analysis of a sample 23 GHz

Network
Existing link in the environment
New link we are designing
Path of interference
5 www.commscope/andrew.com
Since this link was originally predicted to just barely meet the
operators reliability target, the interference loss is too costly and
the operator decides on a traditional approach of upsizing to a
4 ft. (1.2 m) antenna at site B.
The operator licenses and builds the link with a larger 4 ft.
(1.2 m) antenna at site B. The link performs adequately and
meets the objective, as shown above in Figure 9, but only at the
cost of signicant OPEX penalties. Had the operator chosen a
2 ft. (0.6 m) Sentinel

antenna instead, the same interference

solution would have also resulted in signicantly reduced, rather
than increased, operational costs.
It would be very advantageous for an operator to avoid
potentially harmful interference without resorting to older,
larger antenna designs. Analysis clearly shows that Sentinel

technology offers the operator some very signicant advantages
in both performance and total cost of ownership:
Ability to use smaller antennas on existing links, where a
bigger antenna was used to avoid harmful interference.
Conclusion 7
Smaller Sentinel antennas effectively combat interference
while delivering massive CAPEX and OPEX savings.
Figure 9: Sentinels reduced size saves money while reducing interference concerns
FAR Exceeded!
Net improvement
by 17 dB by using
Sentinel antenna
instead of using
2ft C
3
antenna
Objective met, but
higher:
Antenna Cost
Shipping Cost
Tower Cost
Wind Load
Space Lease Cost
Reduce
CAPEX
and
OPEX
Ability to use smaller antennas on new link designs,
which would normally require a bigger antenna to avoid
interference.
Better protection of the links fade margin, helping to future-
proof the network.
Save $2,400 on annual tower leasing costs per 0.6 m (2
ft.) Sentenel

microwave antenna over a 1.2 m (4 ft) Class 3

option at $100 per ft, per month.
Growing capacity demand means growing your network is a foregone conclusion. But expansion is more than an
obligation of businessits a chance to seize a real opportunity to boost performance while reducing costs. By future-
proong with Sentinel

technology, a network is protected from demand surges that could otherwise cause major outages.
Spectrum availability is only getting tighter. Operators would be well advised to seek every opportunity to maximize the
spectrum they currently have, because buying more is expensiveand soon, it may be impossible. Coverage is critical as
well, since interference can bring a network to a grinding halt. And costs are a constant concern, both in deployment and
in operation of networks across the globe.
For these three reasonscapacity, coverage and costSentinel

antennas from CommScope represent a key

opportunity for operators to plan for the future of their networks while protecting both their capital and operating
budgets.
Conclusion
Sentinel

is a Global C
3
Antenna Solution to Todays Mobile Backhaul Crunch
www.commscope.com
Visit our Web site or contact your local CommScope representative for more information. 2013 CommScope, Inc. All rights reserved.
Andrew is a trademark of CommScope. All trademarks identied by or are registered trademarks or trademarks, respectively, of CommScope.
This document is for planning purposes only and is not intended to modify or supplement any specifcations or warranties relating to CommScope products or services.
WP-105696.2-EN (4/13)
Capacity
Enhancer
Coverage
Reliability
Guarantor
Cost
Saver