Top 5G Small Cell Manufacturers and Suppliers

5G small cells are incredibly important for improving network coverage and capacity, especially in cities. The top manufacturers are creating innovative small cell solutions for telecom operators.

This guide highlights some of the leading 5G small cell vendors, including:

• Samsung
• Huawei
• NEC
• ZTE
• Ericsson
• Nokia
• Airspan Networks
• CommScope
• Comba Telecom Systems Holdings Ltd.

What is a Small Cell 5G Network Tower?

5G NR (New Radio) solutions are developed according to 3GPP Rel.15 specifications. It builds upon the cellular technology roadmap of LTE and LTE-Advanced. The system operates on various frequency bands, including sub-1GHz, below 6 GHz, and above 6 GHz.

5G NR is designed to deliver very high data rates (approximately 1 Gbps to 20 Gbps) with a very low latency of around 5 msec.

Typically, high-power Base Stations (BSs), such as gNodeBs or gNBs, are used to cover a large number of users. However, millimeter-wave frequencies can be blocked by obstacles, making it difficult to serve mobile 5G users in those areas. 5G small cells address these blocking issues.

A Small Cell 5G Network consists of different types of small cell towers, such as femto cells, pico cells, micro cells, and macro cells. Each type supports different coverage distances and serves a different number of users.

Benefits of 5G Small Cells

There are numerous benefits to using 5G small cells:

• Improved Coverage: They enhance coverage in areas with poor signal reception due to obstructions.
• Reduced Latency & Faster Data: They provide lower latency and faster data speeds due to closer proximity to users.
• Lower Power Consumption: Small cells use less power than traditional base stations.
• Easy Installation & Management: 5G small cell towers are small in size, making them easier to install and manage.
• Traffic Offloading: They offload a significant amount of traffic from main 5G Base Stations, allowing more users to be served efficiently with better signal quality.

List of 5G Small Cell Tower Manufacturers

The following table lists some of the top 5G small cell tower manufacturers, along with their part numbers and technical features.

5G small cell tower Manufacturers	Description with part numbers
Samsung	• 5G small cell unit housing antennas and other electronic circuitry. • Designed to support 28 GHz and delivers about 8.5 Gbps throughput. • Supports GPS • Easy to install by plugging in electric cables and fiber optic cables. • This RAU (Radio Access Unit) houses a 1024 antenna MU-MIMO system and supports 800 MHz of spectrum in the mmwave band.
Huawei	• Huawei offers AtomCell for outdoor networking and offers LampSite, PiCo, and Service Anchor for indoor networking. • Small cells drive indoor digitization • It uses licensed and unlicensed spectrum to improve spectral efficiency and user experience. It also supports LAA (Licensed Assisted Access) and LWA (LTE plus WiFi link aggregation).
NEC	• Small cell RUs (Radio Units) for 5G BS (Base Station) • Support 3.7 GHz, 4.5 GHz, and 28 GHz bands • Compliant with O-RAN fronthaul interface specifications • It is used by Japanese telco NTT DoCoMo.
ZTE	• Small Cell BS series • Can be installed in various locations such as lampposts, walls, or building surfaces • Supports different dual-band combinations such as 1.8GHz/2.1GHz, 2.6GHz/3.5GHz, 1.8GHz/3.5GHz, 2.1GHz/3.5GHz etc. • Supports single-mode or multi-mode configurations of 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, IoT networks.
Ericsson	• Model : 5G Radio Dot • Palm-sized and easy to install on the roof. • 3GPP compliant, delivering up to 2 Gbps. • Supports 5G mid-bands from 3 to 6 GHz. • A total of 8 such radio dots are collectively supported by the new 5G IRU (Indoor Radio Unit).
Nokia	• AirScale Indoor Radio System (ASiR System) • It supports 2G/3G/4G/5G technologies. • The ASiR solution consists of various components viz. ASiR-BBU, ASiR-sHUB, ASiR-pRRH and ASiR-RFC.
Airspan Networks	• 3.5 GHz small cells, support massive MIMO and compliant to 5G NR (New Radio) specifications • Company is working with Reliance Jio Infocomm LTE network in INDIA and with Sprint in the US for 5G network
CommScope	• OneCell Small Cell portfolio (OneCell RP5000) • Supports 5G mmwave (28 GHz/39 GHz) and sub 6 GHz bands, CBRS, and C band in the US and 3.5 GHz in Europe/rest of the world. • Supports O-RAN 7.2x fronthaul interface
Comba Telecom Systems Holdings Ltd.	• Model no : ENB-50, A01SE • 5G Open Platform Small Cell

Conclusion

As 5G networks continue to expand, small cells are becoming essential for improving coverage and overall capacity. Choosing a reliable manufacturer ensures better connectivity and a seamless network integration.