As new frequency bands have become available, operators are under pressure to maximise their investments and roll out spectrum quickly. To address this sense of urgency, CommScope is excited to announce and introduce Mosaic, a new active-passive antenna platform that assists operators with simplifying and accelerating 5G-related tower deployments.

Mosaic’s radio-agnostic modular hardware design helps mobile network operators roll out 5G coverage while supporting legacy 4G deployments that still have profitable years of use ahead of them. Adding 5G capabilities often means adding new tower-top equipment, including Active Antenna Systems (AAS) that support massive MIMO capabilities. The CommScope Mosaic platform allows operators to combine active and passive antenna capabilities in a way that simplifies tower top complexity, reduces occupied tower top space and wind loading, while preserving the performance of all technologies.

“Operators are globally estimated to spend approximately $1 trillion (2019 – 2025) in network deployment CAPEX as they capture emerging growth in 5G. The clever engineering behind Mosaic offers a pragmatic way to add both capacity and capability while maximising previous spectrum and 4G cell site investments,” said Farid Firouzbakht, SVP and segment president, Outdoor Wireless Networks, CommScope. “CommScope is removing a significant 5G deployment challenge so operators can prioritise ways to monetise their networks with superfast 5G connectivity.”

Previously, multiple technologies and technology generations at a single site may have caused interference and impacted network performance. Mosaic’s compact design solves this challenge by ensuring legacy 4G infrastructure can co-exist with 5G active antennas.

Mosaic reduces the required footprint at the top of the tower by providing the capability to mount massive MIMO AAS equipment on the back of a conventional passive antenna using advanced technology and modular design practices. The range of available port counts and lengths in the passive antenna module makes it easy to upgrade to 5G mMIMO while supporting all legacy sub-6 GHz bands.

As carriers ramp up 5G coverage across their networks, consumers will continue to invest in 5G smartphones. In addition to faster mobile speeds, the industry will test new use cases for self-driving cars, customised fan experiences, 5G connected collars on farms, remote-controlled ultrasounds scans, remote surgeries and many more applications. The spectrum used for these new services will require densification and engineering innovation. Mosaic is designed to help operators accelerate this uptake while supporting their existing 4G networks.