HUBER+SUHNER’s Connectivity Solutions At The Heart Of Next Generation Mobile Communications

It seems quite incredible to think that only a little over 25 years has passed since the first cellular telephone network licences were awarded in the UK. In that time, there have been a great many winners and losers as network operators and handset makers have exploded on to the scene only to acquire, be acquired or simply disappear.



At the top of the long list of winners over the mobile years has certainly been the user who now takes for granted the continuous performance improvements in quality, reliability and bandwidth.



Make no mistake, the cost of maintaining a leading position in this highly competitive market sector is immense and the key to success is to identify and embrace the very latest technology capable of providing a combination of lower operating costs with more user benefits.



Today’s handsets are powerful mobile devices and, as they become more widespread and more feature rich, so the need for enhanced network services and capacity becomes critical.



In a typical wireless network, base stations have traditionally provided the power and transceiver capabilities to and from the antenna. This arrangement was ideal when the network was used for its original purpose – to make a call – but today, it is inefficient, power hungry and often incapable of expanding with the growth in demand.



Remote Radio Heads

To help network operators overcome today’s cost, performance and energy efficiency challenges as they move towards 4G, the adoption of remote radio head (RRH) technology – where much of the radio technology is sited towards the top of the antenna mast - now allows a single base-station to power multiple antennas with a resulting increase in network bandwidth and a sharp decrease in signal losses, energy consumption and operating costs. A win/win scenario for the network operators since the use of RRH technology allows a much greater distance between the base station transceiver and the antenna sites.



As an industry technology leader in connectivity solutions, HUBER+SUHNER UK has been supplying cable and connector products to the mobile communications sector for many years. HUBER+SUHNER’s expertise in Low Frequency, RF and Fibre Optic technology is widely used throughout the cellular communications industry and today is helping make the easy adoption of Remote Radio Heads a reality. Key to the dramatic increase in performance is connecting the base station transceiver to the RRH using fibre optic technology. Fibre cable is lightweight – very important for masthead applications and offers a huge increase in bandwidth capability for the operator and user alike.



And this is not just for new installations, HUBER+SUHNER’s fibre through copper technology allows basestation upgrades using the existing copper cable installation.



Complete Installation Capability

Although perhaps best known for its cable and connector products, HUBER+SUHNER UK is increasingly called upon to provide a full connectivity installation service from design and assembly, to installation and test. Network operators look to HUBER+SUHNER to provide both the component parts to connect the basestation, RRH and antenna together, but also the capability to fully support the installation from start to finish.



Industry Standard Connectors

One of the key elements behind the growing adoption of remote radio heads is an industry standard fibre optic connector developed by HUBER+SUHNER for outdoor use. The ODC® or outdoor connector is now used by the majority of telecoms OEMs and has been proven to be an easy to install, robust and reliable connector for wireless networks. Designed to withstand high levels of shock and vibration, ODC connectors offer IP68 protection and can operate comfortably within the wide range of temperatures encountered outside and at the top of an antenna mast.



Designed specifically for outdoor applications such as RRH installations and a development of the company’s ODC technology, HUBER+SUHNER’s Q-ODC push-pull connector is waterproof, dust proof and corrosion resistant. Providing all the environmental advantages of the standard ODC connectors, Q-ODC brings fast, easy and foolproof mating to the connectivity equation. Here, its main advantage lies behind the fact that there are just two mating states – mated or unmated and nothing in between.



In addition to HUBER+SUHNER’s fibre capability, the company offers and almost unlimited range of RF solutions including coaxial connectors and cables as well as cable assemblies.



And, to complete the connectivity solutions package available to the mobile communications sector, Low Frequency cables from the proprietary RADOX® family find wide application in basestation, RRH and antenna installations.



The mobile communications industry is just one of many market sectors that rely on HUBER+SUHNER’s connectivity solutions. From design excellence and high quality levels inherent in everything the company manufactures, HUBER+SUHNER UK offers much more than cable and connector products.

The very high degree of connectivity expertise available enables HUBER+SUHNER UK to provide support at all stages of a customer’s project from original design concepts and prototyping, to production and assembly and on through to field installation and service.



Visit www.hubersuhner.co.uk for more information.