DAS 101: The Benefits of aDistributed Antenna System (DAS)

Patrick Sims, RCDDPrincipal Business ConsultantCHR Solutions, Inc.patrick.sims@chrsolutions.comWednesday April 17, 2013

Agenda Technical Review

Mobile Trends History of RF Extension

DAS Defined Alternative & Companion Technologies

Types of DAS Passive, Hybrid, Active DAS Components & Functions

Campus & Macro Network DAS Small Cell Network Benefits & DAS Topology Advantages of DAS DAS Installation Some Amazing Stats

PresenterPresentation NotesMobile TrendsHistory of RF ExtensionDAS DefinedAlternative & Companion TechnologiesTypes of DASPassive, Hybrid, ActiveDAS Components & FunctionsCampus & Macro Network DASSmall Cell Network Benefits & DAS TopologyAdvantages of DASDAS InstallationSome Amazing Stats

There are two sections to this training session, the first is a technical review of the Next Generation Architectures: Fiber Concepts are Changing, Are we prepared? For IP Applications and Services, is there anything new? Does the definition of PON still hold true, or as we will see, it is not just P2MP anymore. Video still requires a great deal of bandwidth, is there anything beyond IP and HDTV? And finally, with our existing networks already build, can they handle the new requirements for higher bandwidths?

Mobile Network Growth 2010 - 2015

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 20150

3,500

7,000

Petabytes per Month92% CAGR 2010-2015

66.4%

20.9%

6.1%4.7%1.5% Mobile VoIP

Mobile Gaming

Mobile M2M

Mobile P2P

Mobile Web/Data

Mobile Video

Mobile Applications

VoIP Traffic Forecast to be 0.4% of all Mobile Data Traffic in 2015.

Source: Cisco VNI Mobile, 2011

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 20150

3,500

7,000

Petabytes per Month 92% CAGR 2010-2015

26.6%

55.8%

5.8%4.7%3.5%2.9%0.7%

Non-Smart Phones

Tablets

M2M

Mobile Gateways

Smart Phones

Laptops and Notebooks

Other Portable Devices

Mobile Devices

Source: Cisco VNI Mobile, 2011

PresenterPresentation NotesCompound Annual Growth Rate - CAGR'. The year-over-year growth rate of an investment over a specified period of time. Compound Annual Growth Rate - CAGR'. The year-over-year growth rate of an investment over a specified period of time.

Traffic/User

Coverage Area Small NumberLarge Macro-Cells - Outdoor

Large Number Macro-Cells; Indoor Coverage w/more Power

Some Micro in Dense Urban Areas

Thin Macro-Cell OverlaysDense Micro-Cell UnderlayDAS For Large Buildings

Micro-Cell for OutdoorDAS and Pico Cells for Enterprise

Femto Cell for Residential

User Density

AMPS

GSM

UMTS/HSPA

4GLTE/4G/WiMax

Cap

acity

Lim

ited

Cov

erag

e Li

mite

d

Mobile Network Evolution

PresenterPresentation NotesAMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone System) used in the North America. The first 1G network launched in the USA was Chicago-based Ameritech in 1983. AMPS cellular service operated in the 800 MHz Cellular Band. For each market area, the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC) allowed two licensees (networks) known as "A" and "B" carriers. Each carrier within a market used a specified "block" of frequencies consisting of 21 control channels and 395 voice channels. Originally, the B (wireline) side license was usually owned by the local phone company, and the A (non-wireline) license was given to wireless telephone providers.Later, many AMPS networks were partially converted to D-AMPS, often referred to as TDMA (though TDMA is a generic term that applies to many cellular systems). D-AMPS was a digital, 2G standard used mainly by AT&T Mobility and U.S. Cellular in the United States, Rogers Wireless in Canada, Telcel in Mexico, Telecom Italia Mobile (TIM) in Brazil, VimpelCom in Russia, Movilnet in Venezuela, and Cellcom in Israel. In most areas, D-AMPS is no longer offered and has been replaced by more advanced digital wireless networks.(Time division multiple access (TDMA) is a channel access method for shared medium networks. It allows several users to share the same frequency channel by dividing the signal into different time slots. The users transmit in rapid succession, one after the other, each using its own time slot. This allows multiple stations to share the same transmission medium (e.g. radio frequency channel) while using only a part of its channel capacity.

TDMA is used in the digital 2G cellular systems such as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications, originally Groupe Spcial Mobile), is a standard set developed by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) to describe protocols for second generation (2G) digital cellular networks used by mobile phones. The GSM standard was developed as a replacement for first generation (1G) analog cellular networks, and originally described a digital, circuit switched network optimized for full duplex voice telephony. This was expanded over time to include data communications, first by circuit switched transport, then packet data transport via GPRS (General Packet Radio Services) and EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution or EGPRS).

Universal Mobile Telecommunications Service (UMTS) and high-speed packet access (HSPA). 3G HSPA of High Speed packet Access is the combination of two technologies, one of the downlink and the other for the uplink that can be built onto the existing 3G UMTS or W-CDMA technology to provide increased data transfer speeds. The original 3G UMTS / W-CDMA standard provided a maximum download speed of 384 kbps. With many users requiring much high data transfer speeds to compete with fixed line broadband services and also to support services that require higher data rates, the need for an increase in the speeds obtainable became necessary. This resulted in the development of the technologies for 3G HSPA.

In telecommunications, 4G is the fourth generation of mobile phone mobile communications standards. It is a successor of the third generation (3G) standards. A 4G system provides mobile ultra-broadband Internet access, for example to laptops with USB wireless modems, to smartphones, and to other mobile devices. Conceivable applications include amended mobile web access, IP telephony, gaming services, high-definition mobile TV, video conferencing and 3D television. Recently, Android and Windows-enabled cellular devices have fallen in the 4G category. One base advantage of 4G is that it can at any point of travelling time provide an internet data transfer rate higher than any existing cellular services (excluding broadband and Wi-Fi connections)Two 4G candidate systems are commercially deployed: the Mobile WiMAX standard (at first in South Korea in 2006), and the first-release Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard (in Scandinavia since 2009). It has however been debated if these first-release versions should be considered to be 4G or not, as discussed in the technical definition section below.

In March 2008, the International Telecommunications Union-Radio communications sector (ITU-R) specified a set of requirements for 4G standards, named the International Mobile Telecommunications Advanced (IMT-Advanced) specification, setting peak speed requirements for 4G service at 100megabits per second (Mbit/s) for high mobility communication (such as from trains and cars) and 1gigabit per second (Gbit/s) for low mobility communication (such as pedestrians and stationary users).[4]Since the first-release versions of Mobile WiMAX and LTE support much less than 1 Gbit/s peak bit rate, they are not fully IMT-Advanced compliant, but are often branded 4G by service providers. On December 6, 2010, ITU-R recognized that these two technologies, as well as other beyond-3G technologies that do not fulfill the IMT-Advanced requirements, could nevertheless be considered "4G", provided they represent forerunners to IMT-Advanced compliant versions and "a substantial level of improvement in performance and capabilities with respect to the initial third generation systems now deployed".[5]Mobile WiMAX Release 2 (also known as WirelessMAN-Advanced or IEEE 802.16m') and LTE Advanced (LTE-A) are IMT-Advanced compliant backwards compatible versions of the above two systems, standardized during the spring 2011,[citation needed] and promising speeds in the order of 1 Gbit/s. Services are expected in 2013.[6]As opposed to earlier generations, a 4G system does not support traditional circuit-switched telephony service, but all-Internet Protocol (IP) based communication such as IP telephony. As seen below, the spread spectrum radio technology used in 3G systems, is abandoned in all 4G candidate systems and replaced by OFDMA multi-carrier transmission and other frequency-domain equalization (FDE) schemes, making it possible to transfer very high bit rates despite extensive multi-path radio propagation (echoes). The peak bit rate is further improved by smart antenna arrays for multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) communications.The term "generation" used to name successive evolutions of radio networks in general is arbitrary. There are several interpretations of it, and no official definition has been made despite the large consensus behind ITU-R's labels. From ITU-R's point of view, 4G is equivalent to IMT-Advanced which has specific performance requirements as explained below. But according operators, a generation of network refers to the deployment of a new non-backward-compatible technology. This usually corresponds to a huge investment with its own depreciation period, marketing strategy (if any), and deployment phases. It can even be different among operators. From the end user's point of view, only performance and cost makes sense. It is expected that the next generation of network performs better and cheaper than the previous generation, which is not that simple to state. Indeed, while a new generation of network arrives, the previous one can keep evolving to a point where it outperforms the first version of the new generation. In many countries, GSM, UMTS and LTE networks still coexist. It is thus much less ambiguous to use the name of the technology/standard, possibly followed by its version number, than a subjective arbitrary generation number which is destined to be challenged endlessly.

This article uses 4G to refer to IMT-Advanced (International Mobile Telecommunications Advanced), as defined by ITU-R. An IMT-Advanced cellular system must fulfill the following requirements:[8]Be based on an all-IP packet switched network.Have peak data rates of up to approximately 100Mbit/s for high mobility such as mobile access and up to approximately 1Gbit/s for low mobility such as nomadic/local wireless access.Be able to dynamically share and use the network resources to support more simultaneous users per cell.Using scalable channel bandwidths of 520MHz, optionally up to 40MHz.[9][10]Have peak link spectral efficiency of 15 bit/s/Hz in the downlink, and 6.75 bit/s/Hz in the uplink (meaning that 1Gbit/s in the downlink should be possible over less than 67MHz bandwidth).System spectral efficiency of up to 3 bit/s/Hz/cell in the downlink and 2.25 bit/s/Hz/cell for indoor usage.[9]Smooth handovers across heterogeneous networks.The ability to offer high quality of service for next generation multimedia support.

Mobile Network History of RF Antenna Systems

Cable TV Systems First True Distributed Antenna Systems

Public Safety Utility Systems Coax Cable w/Two-Way Broadcast

Amplifiers in Tunnels and Buildings

1950

1970

Washington D.C./LondonUnderground Leaky Coax Systems

1978

R.A. Isberg IEEE Presentation28th Vehicular Technology Conference

on Radio Communications in Subways and Mines Through Repeaters

1980

Motorola/Andrew/DB Products Develop Repeater Methods for BDA and Coax to Extend RF Signals

into Null Areas (Simulcast)

1988

DB Products Patent Distributed Antenna System w/Optical Fiber Feed to Multiple Antennas

from a Common Base Station

Digital DASRF over Fiber Systems

19931940

PresenterPresentation NotesThe 1940s and 1950s Cable television originated in the United States almost simultaneously in Arkansas, Oregon and Pennsylvania in 1948 to enhance poor reception of over-the-air television signals in mountainous or geographically remote areas. Community antennas were erected on mountain tops or other high points, and homes were connected to the antenna towers to receive the broadcast signals.

A Method of Transparently Carrying the RF from Radios to Antennas

DAS Defined

A Network of Spatially Separated Antenna Nodes Connected to a Common Source via a Transport Medium that Provides Wireless Service within a

Geographic Area or Structure.

DAS Antenna Elevations are Generally at or Below the Clutter Level and

Node Installations are Compact.

> >

PresenterPresentation NotesA distributed antenna system, or DAS, is a network of spatially separated antenna nodes connected to a common source via a transport medium typically optical fiber, that provides wireless service within a geographic area or structure. DAS antenna elevations are generally at or below the clutter level and node installations are compact.

Lossless Coax

Lossless Antenna Feeder

Point to Point Antenna Feeder

Point to Multipoint Antenna Feeder

DAS Operates in True Simulcast Mode

BDAs Part of a DAS System, or BTS Fed

Used for Both Outside and Indoor Applications

Repeaters can be Technically Classified as a Type of DAS

DAS Defined Continued

PresenterPresentation NotesA distributed antenna system, or DAS, is a network of spatially separated antenna nodes connected to a common source via a transport medium that provides wireless service within a geographic area or structure. DAS antenna elevations are generally at or below the clutter level and node installations are compact.

Repeater Efficient /Low Cost Brings RF from the Outdoor Macro Cellular Network No Dedicated Capacity; Variable Performance Throughout

Microcell High Power Small Base Station Spot Solution for Large Open Areas

Distributed Radios Does not Rely on the Macro Network for Switching and Hand-off Small Radios called Picocells and Femtocells Based on Power Level Evolving Technology used for Hotspot Solutions for few Services

DAS Components Defined/Explained

DAS Two Basic Types Passive/Active

PassiveBi-Directional Amplifier

Feeding Multiple Antennasvia Coax Cable

ActiveActive Electronics at Each

Passive End and a Transport Layer Composed of Fiber, Coax or CAT-5/6e Cabling

HybridFiber in the Riser & Coax in

the Horizontal Runs w/Active Electronics

w/Hybrid Mix

Passive Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) Requires an RF Source to Feed the System RF distributed over Coax to Antennas Throughout Building or Area Low Performance Coax Losses Power & Signal Quality over Distance;

(Performance is not Uniformly Reliable)

Passive/Active DAS Defined

Active Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) Requires an RF Source to Feed the System Optical Fiber Based RF Distribution System System Converts and Amplifies Signals Throughout an Area, Close to

the User for Optical Network Performance High and Low Power Solutions Available for Medium-Sized Buildings

to Large Macro Networks

Typically Implemented with a Single Backbone Architecture, with Couplers to Tap Off RF for each Floor or Set of Floors

DAS Defined Passive Systems

Use Thick Coax Cabling for Signal Transport 1/2-Inch is used for the Horizontal Cabling 7/8-Inch is used for the Backbone Cabling

Bi-directional Amplifiers (BDAs) or Attenuators used to Adjust Levels at the Base Station (BTS) Interface

Splitter/Combiners Distribute Signal within a Set of Floors and Across a Given Floor

Generally used for Low Capacity/Low Coverage Area Applications

Ethernet LAN or WLAN Topology

DAS Defined Active Systems

Standard Structured Cabling -Thin Coax, Optical Fiber, CAT5/6e or CATV Cabling

Amplifiers at the Antenna Point Remote for Zero Loss

Significant Cost and Performance Advantages in Medium and Large Buildings

Excellent Performance Regardless of Frequency

Thin Coax

Remote

Expansion

Fiber Cable

Main Hub

Primary Head-End Unit to Receive and Process the RF Source

DAS Defined Hybrid Systems

Home-Run Fiber to Remote Units Located in IDF Closets that Amplify the Signals

Remote Units Signal Over 1/2 Inch Coax to Antenna Points

Fiber in Riser

Head-End w/Host Unit

Closet w/Expansion Unit & RAU

Broadband Antennas

1. Filter, Up/Down Converter, w/Transport on Coax, Cat5/6e or Fiber over Direct Amplitude Modulation.

Up/Down Convert, Amplify and Then Radiate from Remote Antenna

DAS Active Solution Analog Configuration

2. Filter and Directly Modulate/Demodulate the Signal and use an Optical Fiber to Carry the AM Optical Signal to the Remote(s) Where Demodulation and Amplification and RF Radiation Occurs

Filter and Condition

Optical Fiber

RF Amplifier

Antenna

RF IN

Optical Modulator Optical De-Modulator

RF Out

In the Digital Configuration, an Analog RF Signal is Converted to a Digital Signal, The Signal is then passed to an Optical Transmitter and Sent Over the Optical Fiber to an Optical

Receiver. The Digitized Signal is then passed to a Digital to Analog Converter, Amplified and then Radiated out.

DAS Active Solution Digital Configuration

Digitizes the Complete Section of RF Spectrum(all Channels, Carriers and Noise)

Prior to Transport (Fully Transparent!)

RF to Digital Conversion

Optical Fiber

Antenna

RF IN

Optical TX Optical RX

RF Out

Digital to RF Conversion

Environment - Open Layout, Density, Mixed

DAS Facilities Infrastructure Cost Implications

Building Materials (Sheetrock, Metal, Concrete, etc.) Facility Type, High Rise/Medium Rise (MTU/MDU)

RF Design Goals (Signal Strength)

Infrastructure Required (Fiber, Coax, Copper)

Code Requirements/Environmental Needs Based on Facility Type

PresenterPresentation NotesType of environment - Open layout, dense, mixed use Buildings construction materials (sheetrock, metal, concrete, etc.) RF design goals (required strength of signal) What type of cable infrastructure is installed and/or will be required?Is there dark fiber available?Are there any fire code requirements?High ceilings (lift)

DAS Facilities Installation Cost Implications

Are there any special installation requirements?

Is conduit required?

How much conduit? Vertical Horizontal How many fibers? How large is the conduit? How long are the Conduit Runs?

Working hours, access arrangements, Union Labor

50% labor premium

Challenges Traditional Wireless Coverage

Costly and unsightly cell towers

Towers address macro-levelcoverage, but fail to optimizecoverage in hard-to-reach places, typically in buildings

Difficulty penetrating buildingmaterials such as concrete &brick, or new constructionmaterials such as low-e glass

Disrupt the natural skyline of the campus or integrity of historic buildings

Cell towers fail to optimize bothcoverage & capacity; DAS givesthe service provider the ability tounlock them and deliver the user optimized performance

Service Quality

Adequate

Moderate

Poor

Service QualityAdequate

Moderate

Poor

DAS Campus Solutions

There are DAS solutions thataddresses the needs of collegecampus.

Low power in-buildingsolutions for strategic locationcoverage inside of buildings

High-power outdoor-ratednodes to provide coveragenear-building, betweenbuildings on a medical campus,or in parking garage.

Economic and efficientapproach system can scaleas additional operators serviceyour campus or as you need tocover new buildings

AugmentationInter-Reach

Indoor

Flex-WaveOutdoor

Service Quality

Adequate

Moderate

Poor

Service QualityAdequate

Moderate

Poor

AugmentationInter-Reach

IndoorFlex-Wave

Outdoor

High Power DAS

DAS simulcast offers superior network agility compared todistributed cells that clutter the network as point solutions; allows capacity tobe move/added when & where needed

Saves cost Management Site development

3G/4G Data

Capacity 2.5/3Gbps

Data

Originally used as hole-fill solution for where macro cell could not reach or augment the network to add services

Distributed Antenna Systems

Optical Fiber Feed

DAS Network Distributed/Integrated - In Door/Out-Door

DAS Digital Access HubSingle Point of Interface for

Network Monitoring,Management, and Upgrades

Optical Fiber Feed

Optical Access WDM/CWDMMinimize Fiber Cost

Remote Access Units Low & high powerIndoor & OutdoorProtocol Agnostic

DAS Network Ecosystem

Host Radio/ServicesAggregation

Optical Fiber Feed

100111110110101101101

Digital Transport withDWDM Optical Multiplexing

& Simulcast Switching

WDM /CWDM Technologies

Multi-band/Tennant/ServiceRemote Access Units (

Distributed Networks Advantages

Re-use or Consolidate Existing BTS Sites Base Station Hotel

Provide Broad Coverage Using Simulcast Feature Reducing BTS & Controller Needs

Use Light Poles, Roof Tops Electrical Poles, Eliminating the Need to Build Towers -100 FT to 300 FT

Capital Expenditures

Reduction in Number of BTSDue to Simulcast ReducesBackhaul Needs

BTS Hotel Promotes Aggregation of BackhaulResources Leads to PriceEfficiencies

Multiband System Reduces Number of Pole AttachmentsRequired

Multi-Band Remotes & DigitalTransport Reduces Fiber Strand Needs

Less Cooling Required in Hub if Amplifiers are Outdoors

Operating Expenditures

Ease of Zoning and Antenna Placement

Reduced Site Development Planning

All Digital Transport Simplifies Network Planning & design

Targeted, Broad CoverageResults in HappyCustomers & Less Churn

Speed to Market

Installations Hub/Host Ends/Remotes

Installations High Power Remotes & Outdoor Antennas

Installations Indoor Antennas

DAS Deployments Major League Baseball Stadium

6 Sectors 6 Zones 64 Indoor Remotes 1 Outdoor Remote 127 Antennas (20% indoor, 80% outdoor) 7,000 linear ft of inch coax 4,000 linear ft of 144 strand fiber 30,000 linear ft of composite fiber

DAS Deployments Sports Complex

9 Sectors 12 Zones 92 Indoor Remotes 12 Outdoor Remotes 138 Indoor Antennas 6 Outdoor Antennas 27,000 Linear ft of 1/2 Coax 17,600 Linear ft of 7/8 Coax 35,402 Linear ft of Trunk Fiber 274 Fiber Jumpers

DAS Deployments NFL Stadium

21 Sectors 84 Zones 120 Indoor Remotes 72 Outdoor Remotes 240 Indoor Antennas 36 Outdoor Antennas 50,000 Linear ft of 1/2 Coax 22,000 Linear ft of 7/8 Coax 75,500 Linear ft of Trunk Fiber 522 Fiber Jumpers

DAS Deployments AT&T Stadium

204 UMTS Sector Carriers 49 LTE Sector Carriers 1000 Antennas 69 Miles of Cable (Coax/Fiber)

DAS Deployments Numbers from 2012 Super Bowl

360 UMTS Sector Carriers 59 LTE Sector Carriers 1,783 Antennas 72 Miles of Cable (Coax/Fiber) Data 52% More than Super Bowl XLV 15-Million Tweets During the Game

(500% Increase from 2011)

Conclusions

Users Expect Full Mobile Data Service

Indoor Systems Should be Pre-Installed Similar to Other Utilities

Greenfield Easy to Integrate into the Design Brownfield Difficult to Integrate and Install

Large Installations and Campus Environments Require Dedicated Capacity

DAS Systems Should be Prepared for the Future Multi-Band, Multi-Protocol, Scalable, Flexible

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