Neutral Host Network Multi-Connectivity for Capacity and Coverage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current 5G network operators face challenges in providing enhanced capacity to tenants in neutral host networks while minimizing costs, as they often opt for lower frequency spectrum for economic reasons, which compromises capacity and coverage.
Innovation Solution
Implementing multi-connectivity techniques such as dual connectivity and carrier aggregation, allowing neutral host networks to integrate mid-band frequencies with tenant coverage systems, thereby providing access to higher capacity layers and extending coverage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If lower frequency spectrum is used for economic reasons, then construction costs are reduced, but capacity and data rates are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines coverage spectrum (low-band) and capacity spectrum (mid-band) into a dual-connectivity architecture where low-band provides broad coverage and mid-band provides high-capacity data transmission. This merging allows the system to achieve both economic efficiency through low-band coverage and high data rates through mid-band capacity, resolving the contradiction between construction cost and data rate.
Solution Approach 2:
The neutral host network infrastructure is designed to serve multiple tenants simultaneously, providing universal access to both coverage and capacity layers. The system can dynamically allocate resources to different tenants based on their needs, allowing a single infrastructure to fulfill multiple functions and serve diverse requirements, thereby reducing overall construction costs while maintaining high data rates.
2Ease of manufacture
If lower frequency spectrum is used for economic reasons, then construction costs are reduced, but coverage reach is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the coverage function of low-band spectrum with the capacity function of mid-band spectrum in a dual-connectivity architecture. The low-band layer provides extensive geographical coverage, while the mid-band layer enhances data transmission capacity within that coverage area, achieving both cost efficiency and extended coverage reach simultaneously.
3Productivity
If mid-band frequencies are integrated via multi-connectivity, then capacity is enhanced, but network complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a neutral host network as an intermediary layer between tenants and the dual-connectivity infrastructure. This intermediary manages the complexity of integrating mid-band frequencies by providing a standardized interface and handling resource allocation, thereby enabling capacity enhancement while abstracting away the network complexity from individual tenants.
4Productivity
If additional base stations are deployed to enhance capacity, then data rates improve, but construction and operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of deploying additional base stations, the patent merges existing low-band coverage infrastructure with mid-band capacity resources through dual-connectivity. This approach leverages the geographical reach of low-band base stations while overlaying mid-band capacity, achieving high data rates without the need for additional physical infrastructure deployment, thereby avoiding increased construction and operational costs.
Data Source
AI summary
The present technology is directed to providing enhanced capacity for tenants in a neutral host network (NHN) via multi-connectivity such as dual connectivity or carrier aggregation. The present technology can identify, at a small cell gateway, signaling traffic passing from an access network to a respective core network of an NHN operating at mid-band frequencies and add an interface between the small cell gateway of the NHN and a base station of a tenant network operating at low-band frequencies to establish dual connectivity. Furthermore, the present technology can establish a radio resource control (RRC) connection in a primary cell residing in a macro network operating at low-band frequencies and add, at a fronthaul gateway, one or more secondary cells in a small cell network operating at mid-band frequencies to enable carrier aggregation of the one or more secondary cells with the primary cell the small cell network.