5G Onyx Private Cellular and DAS Solution Brief

Overview

Private cellular networks tailor wireless coverage and capacity to specific business requirements. Often, these purpose-built private networks are the only wireless network required, however in many mixed-use spaces, public wireless networks must co-exist to support a wider range of users. In facilities such as airports, hospitals, hotels, casinos, universities, and sporting arenas, Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) are commonly used for public wireless network access. In these locations, 5G private networks can also be deployed alongside or through a DAS, using common antenna infrastructure. GXC’s Onyx Private 5G offers several options for antenna distribution and infrastructure sharing.

Passive Distributed Antennas

Passive antenna distribution is used when a single radio or antenna pattern may not meet the coverage requirement, or in cases where the deployment of multiple active cells may not be feasible.

GXC Onyx 5G Passive Distribution

Figure: Passive RU Antenna Distribution Options illustrates passive antenna distribution options for the Onyx Private 5G Solution. One unique advantage of GXC’s solution is the ability to distribute and arrange antennas for 1-port, 2-port, and 4-port MIMO using passive coaxial cabling and couplers. This offers the network designer several options for matching coverage and capacity.

Using an example of a corporate campus, the parking garage might be best served with quad-SISO arrangement to achieve four times the coverage area per RU, whereas the auditorium might favor 4x4 MIMO distribution to accommodate high user density and network demand.

Passive RU Antenna Distribution Options

The antenna distribution methods shown in Figure: Passive RU Antenna Distribution Options can be applied to any cellular frequency band, including Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS). Another unique feature of GXC’s Onyx platform is the automatic Spectrum Access System (SAS) registration for each passive antenna. This allows the Certified Professional Installer (CPI) the ability to specify location, gain, desired power, etc. and request individual grants for transmission.

GXC Onyx 5G Passive Distribution with Licensed Band DAS

When integrating private 5G with licensed-band DAS systems, the most common technique for band combining to the passive network is through a band diplexer, as shown in Figure: DAS Diplexer Band Combining with GXC Onyx.

DAS Diplexer Band Combining with GXC Onyx

In the special case of CBRS band, the adjacent C-band (3.7-3.98 GHz) and Auction 110 (3.45-3.55 GHz) spectrum may also be present on the DAS system. GXC’s filter and combining technology creates the necessary separation required to share the antenna infrastructure. For the example shown in Figure: GXC CBRS and C-Band DAS: 2x2 MIMO Example, the GXC G505 RU is hybrid-combined with the DAS operating in adjacent cellular bands using GXC filters BPF-001 and BRF- 001. This arrangement depicts a 2x2 MIMO distribution of 5G private wireless and licensed C-band.

GXC CBRS and C-Band DAS: 2x2 MIMO Example

Active Distributed Antennas

Active DAS systems are special cases where the antennas are only fed by the DAS (RU). These solutions place more active radios, often at lower power, at the edge of the network. This architecture requires that all supported frequencies travel through fiber optic distribution infrastructure to the DAS remote radio unit. For these systems, the two methods for interfacing with an active DAS are directly at RF (using an RRH, RU, gNB, or repeater) or with a digital signal source (such as a base station with a CPRI, eCPRI, or O- RAN fronthaul interconnect).

RF Signal Source for DAS

GXC offers RF-connectorized RUs in a range of power levels, from 24 dBm to 46 dBm, suitable for driving an active DAS Point of Interface (POI). As discussed with passive antenna distribution, another unique advantage with GXC Onyx for CBRS is the ability to register each DAS antenna with the SAS. Mechanisms are available for manual antenna data entry as well as automatic RU inventory and identification.

Active DAS and GXC Private Cellular with an RF DAS Interface

Digital Signal Source for DAS

Macro network base stations provide a fronthaul interface between the edge compute platform and the remote radio using protocols such as CPRI, eCPRI, or O-RAN. Similarly, GXC’s Onyx 5G provides a fully compliant O-RAN interface for integration with a DAS vendor’s O-RAN digital DAS system input. As shown in Figure: Active DAS and GXC Private Cellular with an O-RAN Digital DAS Interface, these select DAS platforms eliminate the RF POI, RUs, RRHs, and offer the venue a significant power, space, and cost reduction.

Active DAS and GXC Private Cellular with an O-RAN Digital DAS Interface

To learn more regarding active DAS vendor compatibility and supported private network bands, please contact GXC.

Summary

GXC’s Onyx Private 5G addresses complex antenna distribution challenges by offering customers coverage and capacity options to optimize their network deployment. With unique features that include 1, 2, or 4-port MIMO distribution, automatic CBRS SAS registration, and both RF and O-RAN DAS interfaces, Onyx 5G can overlay with public networks across a multitude of DAS infrastructure deployments. This system flexibility and DAS compatibility offers customers a simplified, centralized, and cost-effective solution for deploying both private and public network services.

Contact GXC

To get in touch with GXC, please visit https://gxc.io/contact-us/.