Intelligent Antennas: From MIMO to Beamforming and other Innovations

This publication has been discontinued on July 19, 2011.

Introduction

Study Summary

This study assesses the current and future impact of intelligent antennas on the wireless base station and wireless user device markets. It provides a detailed analysis of existing successes and past failures.

The study evaluates the technology s impact upon existing mobile markets, the emerging WiMAX Standard, WiFi, point-to-point radio, and the developing 802.20 Standard.

Current mobile wireless base station deployment statistics are provided and broken down according to region, technology, application, and air interface. Forecasts are also given for shipments, market value, and deployments of all intelligent antenna application segments. In addition, the study addresses implementation paths and challenges to wider penetration.

Questions Addressed

• What attributes are present in successful intelligent antenna implementations?
• What will increase the penetration of intelligent antennas?
• Why have certain intelligent antenna solutions failed?
• What will be the impact of intelligent antennas on wireless networks?
• Which application segment(s) will commercialize IA technology?
• What are the triggers for intelligent antenna success?
• When will intelligent antenna technology gain mass-market success?

Quantifies

• Global intelligent antenna base station deployments
• Regional intelligent antenna base station deployments
• Intelligent antenna base station deployments by air interface
• Intelligent antenna base station deployments by application
• Intelligent antenna base stations and user device shipments by application
• Intelligent antenna equipment revenues
• Cellular, WiMAX, WiFi, PTP Microwave and 802.20 base station shipments

Application Segments

• Cellular (2G, 3G, 4G)
• WiMAX
• 802.20
• Point-to-point microwave
• WiFi

Contents

Section One Executive Summary

1.1 Market Status and Expectations

1.1.1 Infrastructure Deployments Today

1.1.2 Infrastructure Deployments 2010

1.1.3 Infrastructure Shipments by Application 2004

1.1.4 Infrastructure Shipments by Application 2010

1.1.5 User Device Shipments

1.2 Observations on Successful Intelligent Antenna Implementation

1.2.1 TDD

1.2.2 Timing

1.2.3 Capacity Shortages, Limited Options

1.2.4 Integrated Solution

1.2.5 Corporate Support

1.2.6 Space-Time Processing

1.2.7 Pricing

1.3 Observations, Inhibiting Factors

1.3.1 Timing

1.3.2 Availability of Integrated Solutions

1.3.3 Deployment (Applique)

1.3.4 Real Estate Acquisition

1.3.5 Spectrum Acquisition

1.3.6 Readily Available Alternative Upgrades

1.3.7 Cost

1.3.8 Implementation

1.3.9 Techniques Applied

1.3.10 Concerns

1.4 Conclusions

1.4.1 Selective Use

1.4.2 Spectrum and Real Estate First

1.4.2 Data is a Trigger

1.4.3 Competition is also a Trigger

1.4.4 WiFi Commercializes MIMO

1.5 Outlook

Section Two  Technology and Definitions

2.1 Overview

2.2 Definitions

2.2.1 Active Smart Antennas

2.2.2 Beamforming

2.2.3 Diversity Combining

2.2.4 Diversity (Switched)

2.2.5 Maximum Ratio Combining

2.2.6 MIMO

2.2.7 Passive Smart Antennas

2.2.8 Polarization Diversity

2.2.9 Space-Time Processing

2.2.10 Spatial Diversity

2.2.11 Spatial Multiplexing

2.2.12 Switched Beam

2.3 Why Intelligent Antennas Should be Used

2.4 Implementation Choices

2.5 Key Smart Antenna Vendors and Technologies

2.5.1 Airgo Networks, Incorporated

2.5.2 AirNet Communications Corporation

2.5.3 ArrayComm, Incorporated

2.5.4 Bell Labs/Lucent Technologies (BLAST)

2.5.5 CalAmp Corporation (formerly California Amplifier)

2.5.6 Intel Corporation

2.5.7 InterDigital Communications Corporation

2.5.8 Kyocera Corporation

2.5.9 LG Electronics

2.5.10 Magnolia Broadband, Incorporated

2.5.11 Motia, Incorporated

2.5.12 Navini Networks, Incorporated

2.5.13 Nortel Networks Corporation

2.5.14 Orthogon Systems

2.5.15 Paratek Microwave, Incorporated

2.5.16 Qualcomm Incorporated

2.5.17 Texas Instruments, Incorporated

2.5.18 Vivato, Incorporated

2.5.19 WaveRider Communications, Incorporated

2.5.20 Others

2.6 Other Paths for Performance/Capacity Improvement

2.6.1 Adaptive Codec

2.6.2 Air Interface Upgrade

2.6.3 Cell Splitting

2.6.4 Filters

2.6.5 Frequency Hopping

2.6.6 Modulation

2.6.7 Power Control

2.6.8 Spectrum Acquisition

2.7 Challenges

2.7.1 Cost

2.7.2 Migration Path

2.7.3 Resistance

Section 3 Intelligent Antenna Deployment Figures and Forecasts

3.1 Intelligent Antenna Deployments Worldwide

3.2 Intelligent Antenna Shipments

3.3 Real Market Value

3.4 Air Interface Dominance

3.5 Regional Analysis

3.6 Range of Applications Being Supplemented

3.7 Some Intelligent Antenna Technologies Prove Successful, Others Dont

3.8 Which Duplexing Method

3.9 Intelligent Antenna Deployments, Strengths by Type

3.10 Market Share

3.11 Growth Globally

3.12 Reasons for and Forecast of World CDMA Intelligent Antenna use

3.13 Reasons for and Forecast of World GSM Intelligent Antenna use

3.14 Reasons for and Forecast of World PHS Intelligent Antenna use

3.15 Reasons for and Forecast of World UMTS/WCDMA Intelligent Antenna use

3.16 Reasons for and Forecast of TD-SCDMA Intelligent Antenna use

3.17 Asia, Intelligent Antenna Deployments Forecast

3.18 Europe, Intelligent Antenna Deployments Forecast

3.19 North America, Intelligent Antenna Deployments Forecast

3.20 Latin America, Intelligent Antenna Deployments Forecast

3.21 Middle East and Africa, Intelligent Antenna Deployments Forecast

Section 4 Emerging IA Segments

4.1 Wireless Handsets

4.1.2 Inhibiting Factors to IA Deployment

4.1.2.1 Cost

4.1.2.2 Demand

4.1.2.3 Feature Creep

4.1.2.4 Volumes

4.1.2.5 Unequal Benefits

4.1.2.6 Perception

4.1.3 Case for Smarter Handsets

4.1.3.1 Additional Capacity

4.1.3.2 QoS improvements

4.1.3.3 Data

4.1.3.4 System-Wide Upgrade

4.1.3.5 User Focus

4.1.3.6 Upstream

4.1.3.7 Replacement Cycle

4.1.4 Vendors

4.1.5 Initial Target Segments

4.1.5.1 Device Type

4.1.5.2 Air Interface

4.1.5.3 Region

4.1.6 Projections and Expectations

4.2 802.16 / WiMAX

4.2.1 Indications of IA Potential

4.2.1.1 Stringent Performance Demands

4.2.1.2 Limited Funding

4.2.1.3 Potential Revenue Base

4.2.1.4 Few Existing Deployments

4.2.1.5 Challenging Economics

4.2.1.6 Incorporation in Standard

4.2.1.7 Vendor Support

4.2.1.8 TDD

4.2.1.9 CPE Size

4.2.1.10 CPE Power Source

4.2.2 Detriments to IA Penetration

4.2.2.1 Absolute Cost

4.2.2.2 Technical Hurdles

4.2.2.3 Standards

4.2.3 Vendors

4.2.4 Expectations and Forecasts

4.3 802.20

4.3.1 Definition

4.3.2 Why Intelligent Antennas

4.3.2.1 Data Centric

4.3.2.2 Capacity Demands

4.3.2.3 Economics

4.3.2.4 Spectrum Shortages

4.3.2.5 Strong Support

4.3.2.6 Radio Advances

4.3.2.7 Real Estate Acquisition Unlikely

4.3.3 Why Not Smart Antennas

4.3.3.1 Achievable Benefits without IA

4.3.3.2 Pace of Data Demand

4.3.4 Expectations

4.3.4.1 Infrastructure

4.3.4.2 User Devices

4.4 Point-to-Point Microwave and Backhaul

4.4.1 Reasons for Smart Antennas

4.4.1.1 N-LoS Capabilities

4.4.1.2 Bandwidth

4.4.1.3 Reliability

4.4.1.4 Unlicensed Bands

4.4.2 Inhibitors to Intelligent Antennas

4.4.2.1 Cost

4.4.2.2 Other N-LoS Technologies

4.4.2.3 High Frequency

4.4.3 Vendors

4.4.4 Expectations

4.5 802.11/WiFi (Wireless LANs)

4.5.1 History of WLAN

4.5.2 The 802.11n Standard

4.5.2.1 Background & Goals

4.5.2.2 Proposals

4.5.2.3 MIMO Foundation of 802.11n

4.5.2.4 Timing

4.5.3 Other Intelligent Antenna Prospects/Techniques

4.5.3.1 California Amplifier

4.5.3.2 InterDigital Communications Corporation

4.5.3.3 Magnolia Broadband, Incorporated

4.5.3.4 Motia, Incorporated

4.5.3.5 Paratek Microwave, Incorporated

4.5.3.6 Vivato, Incorporated

4.5.4 Case for Intelligent Antennas

4.5.4.1 Coverage

4.5.4.2 Multimedia, Streaming and Sharing

4.5.4.3 Access Point Reduction

4.5.4.4 Laptop Environment

4.5.4.5 Upgrade Cycle

4.5.4.6 Quality of Service

4.5.4.7 Inclusion in the Standard

4.5.5 Arguments against Success of IA

4.5.5.1 Competition

4.5.5.2 Cost is King

4.5.6 Discussion

4.5.6.1 Pre-N Gains Momentum

4.5.6.2 Ignore Pre-N and Lose

4.5.6.3 MIMO Inevitable

4.5.6.4 Wireless Fruit fly Commercializes MIMO

4.5.6.5 Expectations

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