As wireless carriers continue to accelerate their 5G network deployments, telecommunications experts predict that 5G repeaters will be one of many trends employed to ensure network performance and economy. 5G repeaters offer benefits that include cost reduction, accelerated deployments and time-to-value, and superior performance.
But what are 5G repeaters? And why do telecommunications experts feel that they are so critical right now?
5G Repeaters Defined
5G mmWave is a groundbreaking cellular protocol. It enables impressive gains in bandwidth and capacity, supporting data-rich wireless activity like video streaming and gaming. Repeaters, generally, can be defined as devices used to boost and amplify wireless signals. 5G repeaters are physical devices that receive wireless signals from nearby cellular towers and retransmit them to extend their range over longer distances.
5G repeaters also offer a solution to overcome obstructions is the signal’s path and are great for extending coverage to indoors. Since most wireless activity today takes place inside the home, due partly to an increased prevalence in remote work and high demand for video streaming, repeaters help ensure the signal gets where it is most used.
5G Repeater-as-a-Service
Telecommunications experts at Movandi have also identified 5G Repeater-as-a-Service (RaaS) as an emerging and transformational trend. Creating a modular RaaS business model could give service providers the ability to advance their capabilities at a significantly reduced up-front cost.
The “as-a-Service” approach would enable easy access to highly advanced hardware, software, and antenna technology and cloud access. Open APIs would enable developers to create solutions tailored specifically to the needs of end-users. However, before any of this could happen, regulatory bodies would need to allow such services to exist without barriers from proprietary hardware and software.
5G Repeaters Enable Significant Cost-Reduction
5G repeaters are emerging as a critical necessity for carriers to achieve the coverage and speeds 5G is capable of. 5G-enabled devices are already in the market, and demand for the service is high, but the complexities and costs of building out the network—which will require thousands of base stations—present their own set of issues.
McKinsey estimates that the cost of building out and deploying base stations using a conventional approach could be in the range of $700-900 billion by 2030. According to many telecommunications experts, 5G repeaters offset these costs substantially, eliminating the need to build more base stations and adding network density.
In a recently published white paper, Mobile Experts analyzed deployment costs with and without repeaters. The findings showed conclusively that 5G repeaters cut costs by 52%, making a compelling case for the use of repeater technology in 5G implementations.
Paving the Way for Future Wireless Innovation
Major telcos like Verizon have invested heavily in 5G repeaters as a way to boost their existing network’s performance while extending their service to more customers and reaching previously underserved areas. For example, repeaters are helping the carrier improve performance and coverage in densely populated areas with lots of multi-unit dwellings, like apartments and condos, that would not have otherwise been capable of receiving a quality broadband signal.
As repeaters are small and use considerably less energy than conventional small cell technology, some hardware manufacturers, like SureCell, offer a solar-powered repeater that does not even have to connect to the power grid.
Telecommunications experts also predict that 5G repeaters will be pivotal in supporting the next generation in wireless innovation. The infrastructure of 5G repeaters we establish now will provide a foundation upon which 6G networks can be built as well as critical insight into how to best manage the migration.
Takeaways
In conclusion, 5G repeaters are a significant infrastructure component that supports ongoing 5G deployment efforts. Repeaters will cut costs by more than half, reduce the time-to-result, and improve wireless performance significantly, helping carriers and end-users realize the full potential of 5G mmWave technology.
Sidespin Group specializes in networking and telecommunications technologies. We provide market insights, trends analysis, and opinions on intellectual property and all matters related to smart TV patent litigation. To learn more, contact Sidespin Group’s telecommunications experts today.
