Nokia’s been working on some upgrades to its Wavence microwave portfolio, culminating in today’s introduction of new Wavence microwave solutions for 5G deployments in both urban and rural areas.
While fibre appears to be all the rage these days, it cannot easily reach every single location. According to Nokia, the microwave is the preferred option in some cases because it is less expensive, has a shorter time to market, and is relatively easy to deploy.
The UBT-m XP, a high-capacity E-Band radio for outdoor installations, is the company’s most recent addition to its Wavence portfolio.
It has the highest transmit power available on the market in a small, light form factor, making it ideal for urban microwave transport applications, according to Nokia.
The E-Band is standardised worldwide at 71-76 and 81-86 GHz, but it’s always that range, according to Nokia Microwave Radio Links VP Giuseppe Targia, noting that the E-Band is suitable for both urban and suburban environments.
With the new additions to Nokia’s portfolio, it means the link reach can be extended versus traditional systems. Moreover, E-Band can be used in conjunction with the microwave spectrum (6-40 GHz), forming a Carrier Aggregation link, which can reach more than 10 kilometers in distance, Targia said.
Nokia also announced an industry first with the release of the Nokia SteadEband, a stabilized three-foot antenna designed to combat common E-Band issues like tower vibrations and thermal movement.
The SteadEband antenna, when combined with the Nokia UBT-m XP, can increase typical E-Band link distance by up to 50%, according to the Finnish vendor, who also noted that in recent tests, Nokia demonstrated a 12-kilometer-long link using the Nokia UBT-m XP and the SteadEband antenna
“It’s no secret that capacity and radio efficiency are driving the market,” said Emmy Johnson, chief analyst at Sky Light Research, in a statement. “According to Sky Light Research’s latest forecast, the high-capacity E-band market is expected to grow north of 60 percent in 2023.”
Johnson added that Nokia’s latest products’ sustainability and power metrics are impressive, as they not only the lower the total cost of ownership but also help meet climate change guidelines.