A new antenna will turn glass windows into 5G towers: how it works

The WaveAntenna antenna can be installed on the inside of a window, thus improving 5G network coverage without building new towers.

< p>Japanese company AGC in cooperation with NTT Docomo has developed a new glass antenna WAVEAntenna, which can turn glass windows into base stations for 5G connection. Interesting Engineering portal writes about it.

The publication noted that WaveAntenna — this is a continuation of other glass products from AGC that either let mobile signals through or completely block them. The antenna is a small flat panel in which the various components of the base station are embedded. It can be installed on the inside of a window, leaving the building's exterior intact.

NTT Docomo used transparent conductive materials for the antenna, which is sandwiched together with transparent resin between two sheets of glass. According to the developers, the idea of ​​using a transparent conductive material is new.

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WAVEAntenna is reported to be able to increase 5G network coverage without building additional towers in urban areas. The antenna is optimized for operation with frequencies from 3.7 to 4.5 GHz. This is far from the optimal mmWave frequencies of 24-100 GHz, which are mostly used in 5G, but the development serves a slightly different purpose.

As the manufacturer explains, 5G technology also uses the Sub6 range, where signals with a frequency of less than 6 GHz penetrate through obstacles such as walls and buildings. It is an essential component of the 5G network, without which phones would not have coverage inside homes. In this way, WAVEAntenna will help increase network coverage without building new towers, and will also give providers the opportunity to choose the appropriate installation height.

The experts of the portal emphasized that 5G coverage still needs improvement compared to 4G. The reason is that 5G uses higher frequency bands that have less coverage. Thus, to achieve the same coverage as 4G technology, 5G requires a comparatively larger number of base stations.