PRESS RELEASE: At the recent Mobile Broadband Forum 2024 (MBBF 2024), the global antenna industry roundtable was successfully held, attracting numerous mobile network operators, industry analysts, and partners from around the world. Participants shared insights and practices in the antenna industry, exploring the future direction for antenna evolution in the mobile AI era.

Jake Saunders, Vice President of ABI Research Asia-Pacific, stated at the meeting that in the mobile AI era, the intelligence of RAN and antennas is crucial. AI is accelerating the generation and transmission of content, driving exponential growth in network traffic, which presents higher demands for data throughput and an increase in complexity. Therefore, networks need to move towards intelligence to cope with these changes. The ability of antennas to be “aware” of the network engineering parameters and be able to execute more flexible beam adjustments is the key to realizing network intelligence.

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Aleksis Anterow, CMO of Huawei’s Antenna Business Unit, introduced the latest Alpha series antennas at the roundtable. He believes that the Alpha series antennas, representing the next-generation solution, opens a new chapter for the industry, moving forward from the traditional “dumb” antennas, into the era of digitalization. Its key innovations in high efficiency, digitalization, and ease deployment enable operators to make strides towards network intelligence.

Representatives from leading global operators, such as Vodafone Türkiye and Altice Portugal, participated in a discussion on network strategies, sharing valuable insights. They emphasized that green and digital antennas help operators build robust networks by enabling more accurate and efficient network optimization, resulting in better coverage and increased capacity. Moreover, the continuous evolution of intelligent networks requires base station equipment to incorporate digital capabilities, with antennas serving as the most crucial link. There is unanimous agreement that collaborative innovation in antenna technology is key to future progress.

A man in a suit and red polka dot tie is speaking at a podium with a Huawei logo. He holds a microphone and pointer, facing a large speaker and looking to his right. The background features a white wall and patterned stone detail.

Andy Sun, President of Huawei’s Antenna Business Unit, attended the roundtable and officially released the Antenna Digitization White Paper. Sun stated that with the trend towards 5.5G and autonomous networks, it is essential for networks to be green, intelligent, and simplified. The acceleration of antenna innovation and its application in the mobile AI era, along with seizing new opportunities, is a key focus for the entire antenna industry. The release of the Antenna Digitization White Paper showcases Huawei’s in-depth analysis and outlook on the antenna industry in the mobile AI era. Antenna digitalization is an inevitable foundation for intelligent networks. Looking ahead, Huawei will continue to work with mobile network operators and industry partners worldwide to promote antenna digitalization through innovation, and contribute to the construction of even more intelligent and efficient wireless networks.

At the event, analysts, operators, and Huawei representatives reached a consensus on the key capabilities that antennas must have in the mobile AI era to drive the evolution of intelligent networks. These essential capabilities include high efficiency, digitalization, and easy deployment. Specifically, the digitalization of antennas, key infrastructure in wireless communication systems, is an essential step for advancing intelligent networks.