As operators prepare for the coming of 5G, they face complexity and challenges in the transition towards these networks. Because today's evolved 4G network will be the cornerstone for 5G, service providers will need to continue to bring wireless access closer to their customers. During 5G MENA in Dubai from 9-10 April, CommScope will demonstrate how operators can maximise their existing investments and build a bridge to next generation technologies.
"Constant change is the status quo across the Middle East and Africa (MEA). That makes 2018 a time for pragmatism, a time to get down to what's really possible," said Femi Oshiga, vice president of Service Providers, MEA. "That is why densification, virtualization, optimization and simplification of networks will continue to be at the forefront of operator goals for the coming year. Those are important initiatives as operators maximize their network investments and start to see measurable business outcomes from a number of emerging 5G technologies."
African and Middle Eastern end-consumers, who make up more than 20 percent of the global population, are increasingly mobile and social. At least 50 percent of Africa's urban population is online, primarily through their mobile devices, which play an increasingly important role in socio-economic development. The Middle East is experiencing increased smartphone penetration, growing from 23 percent in 2014 to 58 percent in 2020.
The road to 5G is paved with LTE
At 5G MENA, CommScope will display its latest technologies that help enable the next generation of wireless. These include antennas that boost current network speeds to 1 Gigabit per second to new solutions for in-building wireless and fixed wireless access. Here are additional areas of focus at 5G MENA:
- Initiating a new 'Era' for in-building wireless: CommScope Era is an all-digital C-RAN antenna system that leverages wireless operators' initiatives to centralize and virtualize baseband radio assets, a foundational design concept for 5G networks.
- Showcasing capabilities in a totally new space: CommScope is joining the fixed wireless access market with the introduction of a new integrated antenna solution based on xRAN open interface specifications.
- How to add capacity where it's needed most: CommScope Metro Cells can blend into their environments, even in the most densely populated areas.