A macro eNodeB/gNodeB consists of the baseband unit (typically indoor or cabinet-mounted), remote radio units (tower-mounted near the antenna), and sector antennas. The system provides 1-20 km coverage radius depending on band and terrain.
Multi-Band Multi-RAT
Single platform simultaneously operates LTE FDD (Bands 1-85), LTE TDD (Bands 33-53), and 5G NR (n1-n258). Software-defined radio enables dynamic spectrum sharing between LTE and NR on the same carrier for smooth 5G migration.
Carrier Aggregation
Aggregate up to 5 component carriers across different bands for peak downlink throughput exceeding 2 Gbps. Inter-band CA (e.g., B3+B7+B20) combines coverage and capacity bands, while intra-band contiguous CA maximizes spectral efficiency.
High Power Output
40-80W per carrier per sector typical output power, with peak EIRP exceeding 67 dBm when combined with high-gain sector antennas. Sufficient for macro coverage of 1-20 km radius depending on frequency band and propagation conditions.
Advanced Scheduling
Proportional fair scheduler with QoS-aware resource allocation across up to 100 MHz bandwidth (LTE-A Pro) or 200 MHz (5G NR). Supports slicing, guaranteed bit rate bearers, and dynamic spectrum sharing between RATs.
X2/Xn Handover
Sub-20ms handover between eNodeBs via the X2 interface (SCTP/GTP-U). For 5G NR, the Xn interface provides direct gNB-to-gNB mobility support including dual connectivity (EN-DC) with seamless secondary cell addition/release.
Remote Management
TR-069/TR-369 and NETCONF/YANG management interfaces for zero-touch provisioning, remote configuration, firmware updates, and performance monitoring. SON (Self-Organizing Network) features automate neighbor relations, PCI planning, and load balancing.