The C-band auctions raised a staggering $81.17 billion in 2021

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On the back of two important product releases — the ADXV DAS C-band solution and the SDRX C-band repeater — Advanced RF Technologies’ Chief Operating Officer Arnold Kim caught up with RCR Wireless News to discuss the importance of midband spectrum for North America’s 5G future.

Kim explained the ADXV DAS C-band modules’ support of C-band frequencies ranging from 3.7 GHz to 3.98 GHz is particularly exciting because “everybody” participated in the upper C-band auction, indicating it’s importance to the 5G ecosystem. “They all participated in this auction,” he is said, referring to the top U.S. carriers. “That’s not exclusive, but it is unique. Everybody, especially the big three, spent an enormous amount of capital expenditure.”

In additional to C-band support, the ADXV DAS solution also supports power sharing of multiple carriers’ signals via configurable grouped POI units and can be deployed standalone or added seamlessly to an existing ADXV DAS chassis to allow for an upgrade from 4G/LTE systems.

The C-band repeater, which also supports frequency ranges from 3.75 GHz to 3.98 GHz, boasts 2×2 MIMO capability and 5G NR support with two 60~100MHz channel filters and can mounted on a rooftop, sidewall or pole to bring 5G coverage for small to medium size buildings in dense urban or isolated rural areas.

Kim added that the industry now has much more spectrum and much more of the higher spectrum than it used to. “Now the industry knows that it’s not just about the amount, but it’s about where the spectrum is [and] how large or small these waves are,” he added. “The government cleared almost 300 megahertz straight from the beginning of pure C-band. Each of these carriers — AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile — can have a dedicated 100-megahertz channel for applications like AR and VR. That’s why C-band is so empowering — it’s the applications that the carriers are going to be able to support that they could not before.”