Huawei reveals new 5G Meta AAU to improve 5G network performance

Chinese operators start deploying the Huawei MetaAAU  which could be considered as an evolution of the Massive Mimo products already deployed for last couple of years. This new products marks a new breakthrough in Massive MIMO coverage, capacity and energy efficiency.

To date, over 1.5 million 5G base stations have been deployed globally, and 176 commercial 5G networks are providing 5G services to more than 520 million users. The 5G device ecosystem is also maturing quickly. More than 1,000 5G devices have been released worldwide, including mobile phones, home CPEs, and industrial modules.

This fast growth of 5G is changing user requirements  demanding a better, uninterrupted experience. At the same time, the push toward carbon neutrality is putting pressure on the mobile communications industry to go green, which in turn calls for more environmentally-friendly products and solutions.

Released in October 2021 this Huawei’s 64T64R MetaAAU is the ideal solution to improve both network performance and energy efficiency using innovative hardware and software. For hardware, MetaAAU introduces the extremely large antenna array (ELAA) which enables 384 antenna elements, double that of a conventional AAU (192). ELAA is combined with ultra-light integrated array and signal direct injection feeding (SDIF) to improve both coverage and integration. For software, MetaAAU utilizes the Adaptive High Resolution (AHR) Turbo algorithm to enable precise, dynamic, and targeted beamforming, significantly improving user experience and cell capacity.

In comparison with conventional 64T64R AAU and 32T32R AAU, MetaAAU improves coverage by 3 dB and 6 dB and user experience metrics by 30% and 60%, respectively. MetaAAU is also a powerful energy-saving tool. It allows base stations to achieve the same level of coverage for cell edge users but with a lower transmit power, reducing energy consumption by approximately 30% over conventional AAUs.