RF5G Small Cell Basics: Types, Advantages, and Manufacturers
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This page provides a comprehensive overview of 5G small cells, covering their types, advantages, and popular manufacturers.
Introduction
Traditional cellular networks rely on high-power base stations (NodeBs or NBs) to cover extensive areas and serve a large number of users. However, 5G utilizes higher frequencies, including millimeter waves, which are susceptible to signal blockage by obstacles. This can result in mobile users experiencing poor or no 5G signal reception when indoors or behind obstructions.
Small cells are designed to address this signal blocking issue.
What are 5G Small Cells?
5G small cells are essentially low-power, miniature base stations strategically deployed across a target region. These function as low-power wireless access points (APs) operating within licensed spectrum and are managed by telecom operators.
Their compact size allows for easy installation in indoor environments and areas with limited space. Consequently, they enhance cellular coverage and effectively fill coverage gaps. By being distributed throughout the service area, small cells ensure consistent signal quality.
Small cells receive the 5G signal from the main NB and relay it to users. When a user moves behind an obstacle, their cell phone automatically switches to the nearest small cell, maintaining a seamless connection. This ensures uninterrupted 5G network coverage for users.
The image above depicts a typical 5G network setup, featuring both small cells and the main 5G NB (or 5G Base Station).
5G Small Cell Types
The following table outlines different types of 5G small cells and their respective features, including deployment scenarios, supported user capacity, power range, and coverage distance.
| 5G Small Cell Type | Deployment | Number of Concurrent Users | Power Range | Distance Coverage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Femto cell | Primarily used in residences and enterprises | 4 to 8 (residence) | 10 to 100 mW (Indoor) | 10s of meters |
| 16 to 32 (enterprise) | 0.2 to 1 Watt (Outdoor) | |||
| Pico cell | Public areas such as indoors, outdoors, airports, malls, train stations | 64 to 128 | 100 to 250 mW (Indoor) | 10s of meters |
| 1 to 5 Watt (Outdoor) | ||||
| Micro cell | Urban areas to fill macro coverage gaps | 128 to 256 | 5 to 10 Watt (Outdoor) | Few 100s of meters |
| Metro cell | Urban areas to provide additional capacity | > 250 | 10 to 20 Watt (Outdoor) | 100s of meters |
| WiFi | Residences, offices, enterprises | < 50 | 20 to 100 mW (Indoor) | Few 10s of meters |
| 0.2 to 1 Watt (Outdoor) |
Advantages of 5G Small Cells
Here are the key benefits of using 5G small cells:
- Improved Coverage: Enhances signal coverage in areas with weak or blocked signals, providing better service indoors and outdoors behind obstacles.
- Increased User Capacity: Supports a larger number of users on the 5G cellular network.
- Faster Data Services: Offers faster data speeds due to lower latency, as small cells are closer to users.
- Lower Power Consumption: Operates at low power, resulting in reduced energy consumption.
- Easy Installation: Small size makes them easy to install and manage.
- Cellular Traffic Offloading: Helps in offloading cellular traffic to efficiently serve users with higher signal quality.
5G Small Cells Manufacturers
Here’s a list of some prominent manufacturers of 5G small cells:
- Ericsson: Offers Radio Dot, a palm-sized small base station for indoor coverage. The RBS 6402 is a pico cell supporting WCDMA, LTE, and WiFi.
- Qualcomm: Collaborating with ITRI to develop 5G NR small cell products.
- Nokia: Provides a wide range of products for the small cell market catering to 4G and 5G technology-based networks.
- Commscope: Offers small cell solutions for indoor coverage in small and large offices for LTE networks.
- Qorvo: Supplies products based on various small cell types to facilitate the smooth transition of pre-5G/LTE-A Pro networks.
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