CommScope has introduced Mosaic, an active-passive antenna platform that assists mobile network operators for accelerating the deployment of 5G towers.
CommScope said Mosaic’s hardware design helps mobile network operators roll out 5G coverage while supporting legacy 4G deployments.

The CommScope Mosaic platform allows operators to combine active and passive antenna capabilities for simplifying tower complexity, reducing occupied tower top space and wind loading, while preserving the performance of all technologies.

Operators are estimated to spend approximately $1 trillion (2019 – 2025) in network deployment Capex as they capture emerging growth in 5G.

The world added 303 million 5G connections in 2021 and the number of 5G connections reached 521 million at the end of the year.

According to Omdia’s forecast, 5G connections are expected to double to 1.3 billion connections in 2022, nearly double again in 2023 to 2 billion connections, and reach 4.8 billion by the end of 2026. Of that, 516 million is expected to come from North America and 301 million from Latin America and the Caribbean.

“The clever engineering behind Mosaic offers a pragmatic way to add both capacity and capability while maximizing previous spectrum and 4G cell site investments,” said Farid Firouzbakht, SVP and segment president, Outdoor Wireless Networks, CommScope.

Previously, multiple technologies and technology generations at a single site caused interference and impacted network performance. Mosaic’s compact design solves this challenge by ensuring legacy 4G infrastructure can co-exist with 5G active antennas.

Mosaic reduces the footprint at the top of the tower by providing the capability to mount MIMO AAS equipment on the back of a passive antenna using advanced technology and modular design practices. The range of available port counts and lengths in the passive antenna module makes it easy to upgrade to 5G mMIMO while supporting all legacy sub-6 GHz bands.