Operators speed 5G network upgrades with CommScope’s HELIAX

HICKORY, NC: As governments around the world invest in critical national infrastructure to modernize manufacturing, transportation, and healthcare, they are seeking ways to speed 5G network upgrades. CommScope is addressing this need by launching HELIAX® SkyBlox™ which helps network operators put reliable mobile networks in place at a vigorous pace.

Weighing one kilogram, HELIAX SkyBlox™ helps to minimize the impact on tower loads, as well as reducing typical total installation time by more than 50%. This includes mounting the box to the tower, configuring the fiber, and securing all power cables.

“Mobile connectivity is critical for economic renewal,” said Farid Firouzbakht, senior vice president of Outdoor Wireless Networks, CommScope. “Network operators can expedite 5G network rollouts by selecting technology which will help them address challenges and simplify the installation. The new HELIAX SkyBlox innovation marks another milestone in faster deployments and reduced carbon footprint.”

Paving the way towards fiber-underpinned 5G

CommScope’s HELIAX® SkyBlox™ is purpose-built to streamline, simplify and support optimal network performance for new or expanding fiber-to-the-antenna (FTTA) deployments. Made of 100 percent recyclable materials, the new system will support operators tackling the burden of time-to-market delays - with complex fiber and power architectures, as well as weight limitations on tower deployments, limiting how much load can be added to existing cell sites.

“Operators face significant challenges to get a combination of 4G and 5G equipment onto already crowded cell towers. They are seeking antenna systems designed to combine modes and bands, with a simple design and lightweight structure,” said Joe Madden, Founder and Chief Analyst for Mobile Experts. “Quickly deploying power and fiber will be a key element in a future-ready network strategy.”

To further simplify such 5G deployments, CommScope is also introducing its HELIAX Modular FTTA solution to provide a flexible connection between the baseband and radio unit. Scalable and stackable, the CommScope HELIAX Modular FTTA solution enables mobile network operators to rapidly deploy both fiber and power in a single, slim, and flexible weather-resistant jacket. Also manufactured out of recyclable materials, the metal-free durable bundled cable helps reduce passive intermodulation (PIM) interference and puts less weight on the tower.

CommScope’s latest HELIAX® innovative connector solutions also provide network operators and their antenna and OEM partners a new range of RF connectivity solutions to cope with the demands of today’s complex and crowded 5G-enabled networks.