Preparing its network for 5G, including the use of small cells, Deutsche Telekom has selected five small cell antennas developed by Huber+Suhner. The Sencity Urban antennas support 4G and 5G frequencies, covering the range from 1.7 to 4.2 GHz.

The new small cell antennas will first operate in Deutsche Telekom’s 4G network in Kiel, Lüneburg, Osnabrück, Munich and Mülheim. They can be upgraded to 5G with a few simple steps.

Increased data capacity

Small cells will play an important role in Deutsche Telekom’s network, as they enable a significant increase in data capacity in their coverage areas — up to an 150 Mbps. The antennas will support MIMO configurations, where several antennas are used to provide higher data throughput.

“Developing small cell antennas that support 4G and 5G technology and can be integrated properly into the cityscape despite the limited space was a challenge. The Sencity Urban antennas have optimized performance and allow flexible mounting so that the network can easily be extended to 5G in urban areas.” — Claudia Bartholdi, product manager at Huber+Suhner

Flexible installation

The Sencity Urban antennas are compact and can be installed in existing infrastructure, such as public telephone boxes, bus and streetcar shelters, walls and LED lighting furniture. The type of antenna will be selected to best meet the location and coverage requirement. Omnidirectional antennas will be used for market squares, directional antennas for narrow streets.

“Small cell antennas are an important component of our expansion strategy. We can systematically cover squares and streets with the new antennas. This helps us create more capacity in the downtown areas and, thus, further optimize our network. A big added value of our Swiss partner’s antennas is their flexible handling: we can convert the supply to 5G in a few easy steps.” — Walter Goldenits, Telekom Deutschland’s CTO