Beamforming and LTE

In radio communications there is a huge drive to squeeze as much performance and capacity from equipment as possible. One new feature with huge promise is to incorporate ‘beamforming’, to reduce interference and improve reception while seeing huge gains in performance.

Simply put, beamforming is the process that allows for a radio signal to be focused on its target. Normally, once a signal leaves the antenna, it gets wider and wider and, in the process, loses most of its strength. With beamforming, the focus of the signal is narrowed and gets to the connected device in a straight line. This helps preserve the strength of the signal due to the lack of multi-path interference.

Beamforming makes use of the Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) technology, which is a fundamental part of LTE. This enables the transmission of high amounts of data.

What has led to the popularization of beamforming?

With the introduction of 5G networks, beamforming is going to play an important role in their success. Telecom companies such as Horizon Communications are using this technology in order to provide enhanced network performance and capacity to meet the increasing connectivity demands. Engineers are also looking into spatial dimension innovations under SDMA (Space Division Multiple Access) to achieve this.

With SDMA, beamforming antennas will enable multiple synchronized transmissions on the same frequency with minimal or no interference. This will result in high-intensity signals and high spectrum reuse for both mobile and stationary internet users.

How does beamforming work?

Beamforming uses the same technique as multiple-antenna communications. Devices that have the beamforming feature focus their frequencies towards each recipient. This can best be explained using an analogy of a flashlight, where the bulb is a transmitter.

When the flashlight does not have something to focus, the light shines in all directions, which isn’t very effective if you’re trying to see far in the dark. This is just like your home router without a beamforming feature. Once concentrate, the light becomes very focused and travel to specific locations. Simply this is how beamforming works.

The multiple antennas transmit multiple patterns which combine in the air to form a virtual beam directed to the destination. The frequencies facing the destination will overlap and intensify the beam’s strength, while those facing other directions bump into each other and are destroyed in the process. For effective transmission and improved signal strength, the beamforming technology evaluates such parameters as the terminal’s location, signal, noise level, the distance, speed, and the required Quality of Service (QoS) level.

What are the advantages of beamforming?

· High network efficiency

Through the reduction of CCI, beamforming can be used even in dense areas as opposed to single antenna systems. This will allow for its running even in high-order modulations such as 64QAM. The overall capacity of wireless 5G networks will be greatly improved.

· Lack of multi-path interference

Through the exploitation of spatial features in the antennas, beamforming helps overcome internal and external interference. As the interference comes from a specific direction, the beamformer has been designed to apply a nullifying technique. This allows it to send a ‘null’ in the direction of the interference thus canceling it out, like 2 speakers playing the same song facing one another, you can nearly eliminate the sound from both if you choose.

· Higher SNR

The directional transmission provided by beamforming will improve the link budget. The increase in range is beneficial for both indoor and outdoor use.

Gilbert A Darrell is the Founder of Horizon. He has 18 years experience in information technology and telecom solutions, a veteran in Fire and EMS Services, a crypto enthusiast and a member of the Bermuda Government’s Cryptocurrency Task Force.

Horizon Communications is an upcoming fixed wireless internet and cellular service provider looking to provide services in Bermuda, the Caribbean, and Central America before expanding internationally.

While utilizing 4th generation and soon 5th generation wireless technology, it will also heavily incorporate blockchain and cryptocurrency technology, one of the 1st ISP’s in the world to do so and the 1st to tokenize their services using an Initial Coin Offering (ICO).

More information can be found on their website — www.HorizonComm.co