FP7-ICT-2011-7-288267 ● sarabandfp7.eu

SMART ANTENNA & RADIO FOR ACCESS AND BACKHAUL FOR ADVANCED NETWORK NODES

sarabandfp7.eu

FP7-ICT-2011-7-288267

PRESENTATION

D1.1.

FP7-ICT-2011-7-288267 ● sarabandfp7.eu

The SARABAND project aims at taking advantage of the Q-band frequency band (40,5 to 43,5 GHz) in a cost effective way to provide higher performing and integrated network nodes for the wireless backhaul of future mobile radio and last mile access for the digital divide by developing smart antennas and front-end radio modules. The use of millimeter waves, particularly at Q-band where 3GHz bandwidth has been regulated by EU, can bring large capacity with high throughputs, fast deployment, with lightweight and discrete equipment

Q Band Frequency

FP7-ICT-2011-7-288267 ● sarabandfp7.eu

Project Description

As mobile operators face increasing density of base stations as well as growing bandwidth requirements, mobile backhaul has become the new challenge. To reduce the digital divide and as a complement to the Fiber to the Home, especially where cost to deploy fiber cannot be justified, it is proposed to deliver capacity to enterprises and households over the last miles at much more reasonable cost. In this context, millimeter wave technology, especially in the Q-band, fits nicely into these new backhaul scenarios and can bring large capacity with high throughputs, fast deployment and discrete equipment. The SARABAND project will focus on the development of low profile high gain and programmable multi-beam Q-band antennas, and on the development of miniaturized radio module based on new substrate, new packaging and interconnection process in Q-band frequency. This approach will enable operators to capitalize on the massive bandwidth available in the EU regulated Q-band (40,5-43,5 GHz) for future wireless backhaul, as well as last mile access to bridge the digital divide in a most cost-efficient, easily deployable and energy efficient way.

FP7-ICT-2011-7-288267 ● sarabandfp7.eu

Project DescriptionThe SARABAND project will address this issue by creating state of the art, smart, high gain & agile Q-band antennas with miniaturized Q-band radio head inside. To this end, SARABAND will handle the following concepts:

•The first SARABAND project concept is to leverage the EU regulated Q-band (40,5-43,5 GHz) to help overcome the digital divide for next generation mobile backhaul.

•The second concept of the SARABAND project is to exploit sub-wavelength Lens and Switched Parasitic Array technologies to design small form factor, programmable, high gain, multi-beam antennas, in order to achieve low cost production and performance "beyond state of the art".

•The third concept of the SARABAND project is to exploit new packaging and interconnection solutions with the latest process technology to provide Q-band radio head modules with low loss, high power and high reliability at a fraction of the price of any available radio today.

•The fourth concept of the SARABAND project is to integrate innovative miniaturized steerable antennas with advanced Q-band circuits to produce small, low cost novel network systems with outstanding performance and high-energy efficiency.

FP7-ICT-2011-7-288267 ● sarabandfp7.eu

Work Plan

FP7-ICT-2011-7-288267 ● sarabandfp7.eu

Work Packages and Leaders

WP1 Project Coordination and Management TCF

WP2 Network Architecture and System specifications BLW

WP3 Q-band Low profile & High Gain Antenna THALES

WP4 Smart Q-band Programmable Multi-beam Antenna Fraunhofer

WP5 Q-band Radio Head Module TCF

WP6 System Set-up & Test BLW

WP7 Integration Platform & Small-scale Field Trials FIB

WP8 Dissemination & Exploitation UPVLC

FP7-ICT-2011-7-288267 ● sarabandfp7.eu

Objective

The main objective of SARABAND Project is, in relation with operators needs and investments trends, the development of a wireless network plateform for a small scale field trial in a campus, incorporating the building blocks developed during the project (Specific smart antennas, front end electronics, network management) associated with a measurement campaign for the evaluation of the service performance

FP7-ICT-2011-7-288267 ● sarabandfp7.eu

PartnersThales Communications & Security SA

Bluwan UK Ltd

Office National d'Etudes et de Recherches Aerospatiales

Fraunhofer - High Frequency Physics and Radar Techniques

Thales Research & Technology

Systrel SAS Universidad Politécnica de Valencia

Fibernova Systems SL

Orteh SP. Z O.O.