What Passive Antenna Vendors Need to Do to Sell Their Products More Successfully
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Market Overview
- As network operators continue with 5G rollouts around the world, there is strong demand for 5G Massive Multiple Input, Multiple Output (mMIMO).
- To achieve nationwide network coverage, networks will need to deploy passive antennas in the lower frequency band (sub-3 Gigahertz (GHz). However, this will be done at a shrinking rate.
- Passive antenna rollouts are anticipated to be gradual due to post-pandemic question marks, inflation, and global supply chain challenges induced by the U.S.-China trade war.
- Key markets that will drive future growth for passive antennas include South Asia, Latin America, and Africa. Network operators in these regions are migrating from 4G to 5G networks.
- ABI Research forecasts worldwide passive antenna revenue to reach nearly US$4 billion by 2025—a result of 5 million shipments.
“The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 created uncertainty in investments for network deployments and upgrades, and the deployments of mMIMO for 5G also resulted in negative impacts on the passive antenna market. As we transition into a post-COVID-19 world and network operators start to resume their network deployments, the passive base station antenna market has witnessed an increase of 5.6%, amounting to US$3.56 billion.” – Fei Liu, Industry Analyst at ABI Research
The chart below depicts revenue and shipment forecasts for passive antennas between 2020 and 2025.
Key Decision Items
Create Sustainable Programs for Operators
With sustainability being a top concern among Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), 5G passive antenna vendors need to work toward improved antenna efficiency and innovation in their materials and production. For inspiration, vendors can look to the efforts of companies like Huawei, Amphenol Antenna Solutions, and Ericsson.
- Huawei uses the Signal Direct Injection Feeding (SDIF) architecture to increase energy efficiency and reduces the number of discarded antennas by leveraging reconfigurable antennas.
- Amphenol Antenna Solutions has an antenna-upgradable program called Integra that solves carbon footprint, waste, and network evolution. Integra reportedly reduces the carbon footprint by 50%.
- Ericsson launched its Product Take-Back Program, designed to reduce network operators' environmental impact and costs.
From the point of view of ABI Research, other 5G antenna vendors should devise similar programs that enable these sustainability capabilities for operators.
Closely Track Market Demands
The health of the passive antenna market hinges on the investment from operators in broadening their network infrastructure and superseding legacy equipment. Adding to this, the onset of 5G results in disruption for passive antennas. The pressure is on for vendors to balance competitive costs with high-performing products. This makes it imperative that antenna vendors keep a close eye on the market demands for cost, performance, and weight/dimension—modernizing their platforms in a way that aligns with these trends.
Continue R&D Investment in the Right Areas
One of the most important things passive antenna vendors can do is continuously invest in Research & Development (R&D). Beyond innovative solutions that tackle sustainability, vendors must find ways to minimize the amount of space their products take up at 5G cell sites and comply with regulatory requirements.
Here, investment in multi-band and multi-port antennas could be helpful, which many vendors are already capitalizing on. A multi-port 5G antenna provides higher design flexibility than the traditional one-port design, pattern control, and Radio Frequency (RF) performance. Moreover, multi-port antennas offer the ability to share antennas. Although not standardized by The 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), antenna sharing helps operators drive scale and reduce costs.
As there is an increased number of frequency bands with the ongoing 4G and 5G deployments, there is a growing need for passive antennas to support multiple frequencies. By supporting existing and new frequency bands, network operators can limit the number of required antenna rays and minimize the antenna size and tower loading.
Other areas of R&D that passive antenna vendors can explore include Active + Passive (A+P) antenna platforms and hybrid Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) + Time Division Duplex (TDD) antennas.
Remember That Wind Load Is a Big Problem
There is a growing need for 5G antennas with enhanced wind performance because wind load influences tower safety and antenna dependability. Antenna vendors should conceptualize innovative designs that make their products more resistant to wind. CommScope, PROSE, and Ericsson offer solid examples to aspire to, as described below:
- CommScope’s antenna design is centered around wake-reducing surface nodes that control airflow. This aerodynamic solution focuses on the boundary layer of the flow to ensure the flow remains attached to the antenna for as long as possible to delay flow separation and reduce wake. Wind load reduction is said to be 30%.
- PROSE tackles wind reduction by creating an aerodynamic radome. The radome is also remanufactured, which makes it compatible with the layout of the original antenna. Moreover, the side aerodynamic ribs form air-lubricated bearings to reduce wind load, and the solution includes a bionic drag reduction end cap.
- Ericsson Antenna System, the industry’s first base station antenna equipped with a vortex generator, is capable of reducing frontal wind load by up to 60%. Ericsson’s vortex generator allows for a small form factor, resulting in a 25% reduction in antenna weight and lower operating costs.
Key Market Players to Watch
- Ace Technologies Corp.
- Amphenol Corporation
- Comba Telecom
- CommScope Inc
- Ericsson
- Huawei
- PROSE Technologies
- Radio Frequency Systems
Dig Deeper for the Full Picture
To understand more clearly the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead in the passive antenna market, download ABI Research’s 4G and 5G Passive Antennas research report.
Not ready for the report yet? Check out our following Research Highlights:
- Indoor 5G Energy Efficiency: Creating Greener, More Sustainable Buildings
- The Ultimate Gameplan for Advancing Public Safety Network Infrastructure
- Evaluating the Business Case for 5G FWA
This content is part of the company’s 5G & Mobile Network Infrastructure Research Service.
