ZTE has launched what it says is the industry's first LTE BeamHop Solution
and demonstrated the LTE A8808 Active Antenna System (AAS) product based on this
technology.
Based on the LTE BeamHop Solution, the A8808 product consists of both active
and passive antennae. The passive part replaces operators' existing 2G and 3G
antennae, while the active part is used for the newly added LTE network. Since
the LTE radio unit is integrated into the existing antenna, the new LTE network
can be deployed without purchasing any additional antenna site space, reducing
installation costs and maximizing existing resources.
"The new ZTE LTE BeamHop AAS solution enables 'one deployment, two
networks and flexible coverage,'" said ZTE Vice President Wang Shouchen. "This
solution increases the transmission power of the base station and the
sensitivity of the receivers, which significantly boosts network capacity and
coverage. This BeamHop solution will help operators smoothly transition from 2G
and 3G to LTE, without adding new antenna space. In turn, that will greatly
reduce construction costs and accelerate commercial progress."
The company added that its product is especially beneficial to
operators competing in developed markets where the cost of renting antenna site
space is high.