4G LTE Antenna-What do I need to consider?

In today’s fast-paced world, staying connected is essential. With 4G LTE broadband, we can access the internet and communicate with others at lightning-fast speeds. However, to get the most out of this technology, you need a reliable external antenna.

4G broadband is a better option if you live or work in a more rural area. Over the past few years we’ve seen a big uptake in 4G and mobile broadband options, people are more convenient for shopping, meeting and entertainment.

If you don’t switch to mobile broadband, then end up with download speeds that are lower that what you were expecting. You can’t find the destination if you travel by using mobile navigation. People can’t communicate properly.

With poor reception, it bring many inconvenience to our work and life.

So, with you as the user, what considerations do you need to make to ensure your 4G mobile broadband connection will be the strongest it can be?

Did you know that LTE is MIMO technology?

LTE is a multi-stream radio, multiple in/multiple out (MiMo) service. In LTE, MiMo technology is used in the form of multiple antennas at the base station and user equipment (UE). One use multiple antennas to get same signal from different spatial paths. The results in better signal reception, less interference, and higher throughput. Which means the more streams of data the client can take, the faster the broadband. With MiMo, LTE networks can achieve much higher data rates than traditional single antenna systems.

There are two types of MiMo technology: Single-User MiMo (SU-MiMo) and Multi-User MiMo (MU-MiMo). SU-MiMo uses multiple antennas on both the base station and UE. It improve the data rate and signal quality of a single user. MU-MiMo, one the other hand, uses multiple antennas at the base station to serve multiple users simultaneously. It increasing the network’s overall capacity. If the number of streams is T (the number of transmit radio streams) multiplied by R (the number of receive streams the connection can support) so TxR. This means that if something supports 2×2 streams, it can support twice the upload and download speed of a device with 1×1. In 4G LTE, you get anything from 1×1 to 8×8 stream capability (including all the possible mixes in between them).

So the client needs how many antennas depend on the number of transmit and receive streams. for a 1×1 service, you would only need a single antenna. For a 2×2 service you would need 2 antenna.

A connection can only support the number of streams the service provider is capable of via their masts. It is also dependent on the client device and its radio capabilities.

The majority of devices – Like phones and routers – have dual stream capabilities.

Choices of antenna

On the market , there are different price you may realised if you are looking for 4G lte antenna. The number of connections is the one of the main differences of antennas.

It is probably to know the connections is more, the price is higher. So a 2×2 (or 2×1 or 2×2) device will cost more than a 1×1 device.one can choose single (1×1) and dual connection (2×2) antennas depend on their own device and

That is better to choose a dual connection (2×2) antenna if your router or other device is dual stream and MIMO function.

How do you know if the antenna will be any good??

That comes down to polarisation. It depends on the antenna installation method. The installation method is generally divided into horizontal and vertical. The biggest advantage of using different antenna polarization methods is to reduce interference. For example, when installing multiple antennas on a tower, the best installation method is to stagger the vertically and horizontally polarized antennas. It can reduce interference for each other. 

Dual polarization antennas have two antenna elements in the same physical enclosure (radome). one of which is vertically polarized and the other is horizontally polarized. If it is installed correctly. the dual-polarized antenna can support both vertically and horizontally polarized device. One of the advantages of a dual-polarized antenna is that provide two antennas in the same device. thus saving space and money. This type of antenna used for MIMO (multiple input/multiple output) wireless access points and CPE equipment.