More Power Isn’t Always Better
by Kent Lundgren, VP of Marketing
Leading 5G mmWave carriers know that repeaters should not be judged solely by range and power. This is because mmWave is primarily deployed in dense urban and suburban environments where the signal is obstructed by buildings and other obstacles.
Pivotal analyzed a transmitter atop an eight-meter pole, broadcasting in every direction and targeting 1.5 meters above the ground. The signal was blocked 80% of the time before it reached 120 meters, and 90% of the time before it reached 150 meters (see graph). Increasing repeater power in this environment doesn’t increase range, it just strengthens the signal at the face of the obstacle.
The preceding analysis was generated by Pivotal’s RF planning tool, WaveScape™, which informed other important features for its outdoor network repeater, Pivot 5G®. Besides power and range, the analysis includes:
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Multiple antenna patterns to serve different deployment scenarios, e.g., from wide and close to narrow and farther away
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Low product size, weight, and power consumption as exemplified by Pivotal’s Holographic Beam Forming®
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Network independence, agnosticism, and ease of installation for fast deployment
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Network KPIs for signal visibility between repeater and end user
Additional features can be found outside the repeater itself, such as repeater placement (WaveScape) and optimization (Intelligent Beam Management System).
Pivotal is the smart repeater choice for mmWave carriers.