As the name suggests, a small cell antenna is an antenna that is more compact than a typical large – or macro – cell antenna. Size isn’t the only benefit, small cells also consume less power than large antennas, enabling them to be used in both power and size constrained situations. Small cells are typically used to place connectivity closer to users, enabling faster speeds in crowded areas for more users and allowing providers to fill gaps in coverage cost effectively.

Macrocells, such as 5G cellular base stations, are typically positioned to cover several city blocks for dense urban deployments or an area of several square kilometres in suburban and rural areas. These are large, relatively expensive pieces of radio hardware that require fully-featured sites that support significant power supply, regular maintenance and backhaul connectivity.

In contrast, small cells, which can support and operate in different wireless technologies including 3G, 4G and 5G, are about the size of a small pizza box and contain small radio equipment and antennas in a form factor that can be placed on poles, streetlamps and the sides of buildings. Small cells typically have low weight so they can be easily placed in highly-populated venues, such as sports venues, airports or theaters.

High-density deployments

Density is important here because small cells have more limited range than macrocells, covering from around 10 meters to a few kilometers. To provide coverage, more cells need to be deployed much closer together than for macrocells. The overall capability of small cells is dependent on the selected frequency, but a typical rule is the higher the frequency, the shorter the range of the cell. That means numerous small cells are required to achieve the goals of a deployment.

Small cell networks are often augmented with distributed antenna systems (DAS) which form a network of antennas across a site, campus or densely populated area to boost wireless signals. The antennas connect to a central source, such as a small cell, to amplify and rebroadcast signals, helping to ensure consistent coverage and capacity.

Installation considerations

Key small cell attributes include low device cost, low power consumption, ease of installation and setup, and compactness that allows them to be installed simply and unobtrusively in a wide range of locations. Antennas are an essential ingredient of small cell products that influence the overall cost, size and performance of small cells. There are balances to be found between these attributes to enable an optimized antenna solution for each deployment scenario.

Even so, small cell deployments can be complex with interference management required in the architecture design, placement and orientation of small cells. This is essential because small cells are grouped closely together in deployments and each small cell antenna has the potential to cause interference with other small cells and macro-cells.

This can make implementing a small cell antenna setup a financial challenge in contrast to traditional repeaters. However, the technology has become essential to supporting device needs for speed, coverage, low latency and quality of service. Importantly, small cell antennas are now available to support a wide range of wireless use cases, encompassing cellular, Wi-Fi, GPS and other connections.

Quectel has a wide range of combo small cell antennas, including the recently launched Quectel YEMG493KPAM 5G 4-in-1 wall and poll mount external antenna, which weighs just 1kg and supports 5G New Radio and other cellular applications. Another newly-introduced option is the Quectel YEMJ294JPAM 5G 2-in-1 screw mount antenna. This antenna supports LTE, 5G New Radio, GPS and Wi-Fi and features a UV-protected ABS radome that operates in a -40°C to +60°C temperature range. Quectel Antenna Services also has a team of antenna design optimization experts available to help you select the best small cell antennas for your deployment.