This document is the property of Arialcom and must not be reproduced or communicated without prior written consent.

ARIALCOM triple-band antennas

advantages

Arialcom antennas advantages

Page 1 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________

This document is the property of Arialcom and must not be reproduced or communicated without prior written consent.

1 INTRODUCTION

Arialcom has developed innovative solutions which have been successfully included in its Aria antenna range of high performance multi-band antennas. The triple-band array architecture gives major advantages to the Aria antennas compare to the standard architecture (stacked and overlapped arrays). Arialcom was selected by France Telecom (Orange Group) for the supplying of triple band antennas (several operators in Europe are also currently qualifying the Aria triple-band antennas). Today, more than 400 Aria triple-band antennas have been supplied and are in current operation on the Orange France network.

2 THE ARRAY ARCHITECTURE : A MAJOR GAIN ADVANTAGE

Arialcom has developed a “side by side” architecture (as shown in the hereafter schematic) which is based on a common cell called “the magical square”. This “magic square” consists of four broadband radiators combined with one GSM 900. The main task (5000 hours of studies) was to control and minimize the radiator couplings in such a small area (27 cm width).

Side by side (ARIALCOM) and stacked (other suppliers) architectures

This specific and patented side by side triple-band architecture gives to Arialcom major gain advantages in the 1710-2170 MHz band :

2.60 m

1.60 m

2.10 m2.60 m

1.60 m

2.10 m2.60 m

1.60 m

2.10 m

ARIALCOM

Broadband 1

Broadband 2 ARIALCOM

Broadband 1

Broadband 2

Broadband 1Broadband 1

Broadband 2Broadband 2

Other suppliers

LB1 (lower) LB2 (upper)

Other suppliers

LB1 (lower) LB2 (upper)

Other suppliers

LB1 (lower) LB2 (upper)

GSMGSM

27cm

27cm

« Magical square »« Magical square »

Arialcom antennas advantages

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This document is the property of Arialcom and must not be reproduced or communicated without prior written consent.

� an unrivalled gain compared to the main competitors (17.5 dBi ± 0.5 db over the whole band),

� the same gain over the 4 broadband ports (not true for the stacked configuration), � the same gain whatever the antenna height : 2.6m, 2.1m & 1.6m, � an high gain option if required (19 dBi) by adding more broadband radiators without any

antenna height change. Such good gain performance are also due to the use of a patented phase shifter/splitter module (air stripline technology) connected to a set of low loss coaxial cables. Indeed, this technology provides low loss, accurate phase control, high power handling and very low intermodulation level.

2.1 AN UNRIVALLED 1710-2170 MHZ GAIN

A benchmarking has been performed by Orange in December 2003, including the Kathrein, Allgon and Arialcom triple-band antennas (2.6m height). Results of the gain measurements are shown hereafter (note that all the antennas have been measured with the same test equipment).

13,5

14,0

14,5

15,0

15,5

16,0

16,5

17,0

17,5

18,0

18,5

1710 1760 1810 1860 1910 1960 2010 2060 2110 2160Frequency (MHz)

dBi

Lower

Upper

Lower

Upper

ALLGON7785.00

KATHREIN742 241

ARIALCOM3-415B1

B2

Average over the –2°/-8° tilt range - (Dec 2003)

Arialcom antennas advantages

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2.2 SAME GAIN ON THE FOUR 1710-2170 MHZ PORTS

Thanks to the side by side architecture, gain on each broadband port (1710 – 2170 MHz) is 17.5 dBi. Considering the stacked configuration array, there is typically a 0.6 dB difference between the upper and the lower networks, because of a longer (typically 1.3m) feeding cable for the upper network.

2.3 A SAME 1710-2170 MHZ GAIN WHATEVER THE ANTENNA HEIGHT

Still thanks to the side by side array configuration, the 1710 – 2170 MHz gain of the Aria triple-band antennas is totally independent of the antenna height. This is not the case for the stacked configuration as shown by the hereafter gain (in dBi) table.

2.4 HIGH GAIN OPTION

A high gain option can be easily provided (over the 1710-2170 Mhz frequency band) without changing the antenna height (applicable on 2,1m and 2,6m models) as shown by the hereafter schematic (typically, up to a 19 dBi gain can be achieved).

B1 B2 Upper Lower

2,6m 17,5 17,5 17 16,4

2,1m 17,5 17,5 16 15,4

1,6m 17,5 17,5 15 14,4

Arialcom :Side by side

Others :Stacked

More than 3 dB difference

ARIALCOM

2.60 m

1.60 m

2.10 mGSM

ARIALCOMARIALCOM

2.60 m

1.60 m

2.10 m2.60 m

1.60 m

2.10 mGSMGSM

Additional radiators17.5 dBi networks

B1

B2

Arialcom antennas advantages

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3 IMPROVED RADIATION PATTERN PERFORMANCE

Arialcom triple-band antennas have improved radiation pattern performance in term of : � upper side lobe level, � nearby surroundings (parapet, ground, …) effect.

3.1 A VERY LOW SIDE LOBE LEVEL

Arialcom designers choose a feeding network architecture ensuring the best control of the patterns by feeding independently each radiator.As a result, Aria triple-band antennas presents good upper side lobe level (-15dB worst case within the 0°/20° elevation range) whatever the frequency/tilt values.

3.2 CONSISTENT RADIATION PATTERN PERFORMANCE VS THE ANTENNA NEARBY SURROUNDINGS

In many cases, base station antennas are installed on the top of buildings. Because of the more and more important visual impact issue, antennas are now installed closer to the ground (an antenna located on the top of a several meters height mast is really visible !).

-30

-25

-20

-15

-10

-5

0

-180 -150 -120 -90 -60 -30 0 30 60 90 120Deg

Arialcom antennas advantages

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But the lower the antenna location, the larger the interaction between the antenna and its nearby surroundings (especially the parapet and the ground) as shown by the hereafter schematic.

By shifting up (45 cm) the broadband networks, this interaction between the antenna and its nearby surroundings are significantly reduced. This point gives to the Arialcom triple-band antennas (2.6 m height) a major advantage in term of radiation pattern performance compare to the triple-band antennas based on stacked architecture.

4 A LARGE ELECTRICAL TILT RANGE

Numerous studies have been done in order to provide the largest tilt ranges, whatever the considered frequency band. As a result, the two electrical tilt ranges are proposed :

� -2° to -10° � -4° to -12°

Considering these tilt ranges, , there is no more need for mechanical tilt (in most cases). All of the Aria triple band antennas are basically equipped with 3 independent MET (Manual Electrical Tilt), that is to say one MET system per frequency bandwidth (GSM900, DCS/UMTS: 1710-2170 Mhz).

ARIALCOMARIALCOM

Broadband 1

Broadband 2

GSM

45 cm

The parapet can “over shadows” the antenna bottom.

Ground interaction can degrade the radiation pattern.

Roof surface

Arialcom antennas advantages

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5 A 100% RECYCLABLE ANTENNA

Forthcoming European legislation (ISO 14001) will require that antennas must be recyclable in 2005. But an antenna’s radome is often made (or include) of fiberglass, which is not at all recyclable. Arialcom has therefore developed a polycarbonate-based radome which is fully compliant (100% recyclable) with this new environmental requirement.

6 A QUICKER INSTALLATION

Installation is part of the total site cost for the operator. As a result, the quicker the antenna installation, the lower the installation cost. Taking into account this point, Arialcom designers decided to :

� make it possible good accessibility to the connectors, by implementing them all around the antenna cover,

� use exclusively long neck connectors, giving much room to install the tape (connection sealing issue).

7 INTEGRATED SOLUTIONS

The Arialcom antennas have been designed in order to make it possible the integration of other devices such RET (Remote Electrical Tilt), MHA (Mast Head Amplifier) or filters (di and triplexers). Arialcom designers have managed to save some available room within the antennas for such kind of component integration. Moreover, the “side by side” triple-band array architecture is particularly convenient regarding this integration issue.

Arialcom antennas advantages

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7.1 RET : THE IVET CONCEPT

This solution is based on the integration inside the antenna of the motors and the control boards. As a result, the management of the electrical tilt is totally enclosed within the antenna housing. This solution is called iVET (integrated Variable Electrical Tilt). Moreover, there is no visual impact increase because the antenna dimensions are not at all changed. Regarding the reliability issue of such a system (it is not possible to change the iVET system on site), tests have been performed over thousands of tilt adjustments in real environmental conditions. Results show that this reliability issue is not a problem (no failures have been noticed during these tests). This iVET system is fully AISG compliant and has already been qualified by different players of the market place. The iVET antenna tilt control system includes 3 control boards and 3 DC motors installed at the top of the antenna and directly connected to the splitter/phase shifter block as shown hereafter.

Arialcom antennas advantages

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First deliveries of triple-band antennas with iVET option are planned in Q2 2005 (to Orange France). The antennas can be interconnected by daisy-chain. As a matter of fact, each antenna (if no AISG MHA) has 2 RS485 connectors: one dedicated to receive the AISG signals, the other one is dedicated to transfer the AISG signals to the next connected antenna. At last, because the iVET is fully AISG compliant, the iVET system can be directly connected to a MHA provided this later is fully AISG compliant. In that case, there is no longer need for RS485 connected (except for daisy-chained the antennas), the iVET system being internally connected to the AISG MHA. Note that an external RCU (Remote Control Unit) can be also installed on the Aria triple-band antennas. In that case, antennas can be retrofitted by adding on site these RCUs.

7.2 MHA INTEGRATION

MHA can be installed to the back of the Aria triple-band antennas as shown by the hereafter schematic.

Note : studies are currently done about the full integration of the MHA inside the antenna (to be launched by beginning of year 2006).