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All-in-one antenna builds next-generation service network
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The new Emergency Services Network (ESN) is designed to improve public safety communications and is replacing the wireless voice broadcast services currently in use in the UK, with frontline users from police, fire and rescue, ambulance services as well as coastguard, local authority and utility services relying more heavily on access to the ESN.
The primary purpose of ESN is to provide modern voice and data services nationwide, providing a reliable and secure mobile communications platform for all users.ESN will be implemented using the LTE cellular infrastructure owned and operated by EE, a major change from the currently privately owned 380-430 MHz TETRA network wireless service, which will initially provide resilient high-speed mobile broadband data and, in a later phase, plans to replace mission-critical voice functions with radio waves. As a result, there will be a period of time in the next few years when fleets across industries will require increasingly sophisticated antenna systems to ensure that reliable voice and data connectivity can be maintained during the transition phase of the wireless network, safeguarding efficiency while enabling the safety of personnel.
ESN operates on EE's 4G network, which uses LTE technology in three frequency bands to provide mobile broadband bearers for data and mission-critical voice services. Widely used in public safety applications to provide voice and data communications, the GNSS series antennas provide efficient TETRA and high performance GPS/GNSS functionality in a compact housing and single-hole mount design. And to meet the need for additional connected devices in vehicles, the HK-GPSD Sharkee series antennas, which include GPS/GNSS, multi-band 2G/3G/4G/5G LTE cellular, dual-band WiFi, and external TETRA whips with a rugged single-hole mount shark fin housing design.
MiMo is a key technology for delivering high-speed broadband, using multipath signal propagation to increase channel capacity. Typically 2x2 MiMo requires two antennas on the client side, but with the introduction of LTE Cat 18/20, a 4x4 MiMo antenna system with four antennas is required. MiMo systems require antennas with high isolation and low correlation coefficients, and all-in-one antenna solutions enable simple and effective antenna installation while meeting technical requirements.
The antenna system is a key part of the ESN vehicle installation, providing a complete MiMo multifunctional antenna solution that is easy to install and provides predefined MiMo performance. In addition, a range of single transmit single receive (SiSo) multi-band cellular antennas are available as backup antennas to provide MiMo functionality alongside existing antennas when required. The new generation 5G antennas are capable of meeting ESN antenna specifications in all operating bands, using up to 5m of CS32 (LMR195 equivalent) coaxial cable, allowing maximum flexibility in installation configurations and simple plug-and-play for users with the shortest cables. Many other types of antenna solutions are available for covert, motorcycle and fixed equipment applications in many application scenarios.
