As the world transitions from 4G to 5G, the shift to these new, far more powerful networks will also require a shift in the way base stations are designed and configured.
Moving up the mast
In the era of 4G, network installations typically relied upon heavy duty infrastructure such as large power masts and passive cables and antennas, with much of the technology concentrated around the ‘shed’, aka the lower ends of the base station. As we move into the 5G era, however, this structure is set to change, with a large number of active, fiber-cable antennas situated at the top of the communications tower rather than at the base of the structure.