Massive MIMO Active Antenna Units

Technology

Why Massive MIMO Changes Everything

Conventional 2T2R antennas serve one user at a time per resource block. Massive MIMO with 64 transmit and 64 receive elements enables MU-MIMO — simultaneously serving 16–32 independent UE spatial streams in the same time-frequency resource through precise 3D beamforming. The result is a 5–10× capacity increase with no additional spectrum.

3D Beamforming

Digital precoding across 64 antenna elements steers independent beams in both horizontal (±60°) and vertical (±15°) planes simultaneously. Each active UE gets its own beam, maximizing signal strength while minimizing interference to neighbors.

MU-MIMO — Up to 32 Streams

Multi-User MIMO serves 16–32 UEs simultaneously in the same PRBs using spatial multiplexing. In dense urban environments this directly translates to 5–8× higher cell throughput compared to 4T4R deployments with identical spectrum allocation.

Dual-Mode LTE + 5G NR

Single AAU/AIR unit operates LTE TDD and 5G NR NR simultaneously on the same carrier. NSA (Non-Standalone) 5G uses LTE as the anchor for control plane while NR delivers the boosted data plane — no separate 5G hardware required initially.

eCPRI Fronthaul

The AAU connects to the BBU/DU via eCPRI over 25GbE optical fiber. eCPRI (enhanced CPRI) carries digitized baseband samples at 25.78 Gbps — far more efficient than legacy CPRI, supporting fiber runs up to 10 km and enabling Cloud RAN (C-RAN) architectures.

O-RAN Compatible

O-RAN Alliance compliant variants support Split 7-2x open fronthaul, enabling interoperability with third-party DU/CU software including OpenAirInterface and srsRAN. Break vendor lock-in and deploy best-of-breed components at each layer of the stack.

Integrated Power Amplifiers

All 64 T/R modules, LNAs, PA chains, and digital signal processing are integrated inside the AAU housing. A single fiber cable carries eCPRI and DC/AC power to the unit at antenna height, eliminating lossy coaxial cable runs and simplifying tower installation.

Carrier-Grade Massive MIMO Units

Industry-leading AAU/AIR products from the three largest RAN vendors, all compatible with MOBITELSMS's Open5GS EPC via standard S1 interfaces.

Ericsson AIR 6449

Ericsson — 64T64R Active Antenna

Config64T64R

FrequencyB77D (3300–4200 MHz), B79A, B41, B42

BandwidthUp to 200 MHz IBW

Peak EIRP2 × 77 dBm (B79A variant)

Dimensions778 × 403 × 268 mm

Weight~46 kg

V-Beamwidth6° — narrow focus

H-Sweep±60° electronic

FronthauleCPRI over 25GbE optical

Dual-ModeLTE TDD + 5G NR simultaneously

Huawei AAU5613

Huawei — 64T64R Active Antenna Unit

Config64T64R

Bandn78 (3400–3800 MHz) / 4.9 GHz (4800–4900 MHz)

Max RF Output200 W

Gain24 dBi

Operating BW200 MHz

H-Beam Sweep±60°

V-Beam Sweep±15° electronic

Dimensions795 × 395 × 195 mm, 37 kg

eCPRI Rate25.78125 Gbps

Max Fiber10 km to BBU

Nokia AirScale Habrok

Nokia — 32TRX / 64TRX Active Antenna

TX/RX Ports32T32R or 64T64R

Max TX Power160–200 W

Standards4.5G Pro + 5G NR dual-mode

FronthauleCPRI over 25GbE

Bands2.5–3.8 GHz (band-specific)

ArchitectureFully integrated (no separate RRU)

DeploymentNSA (LTE anchor) + SA ready

MOBITELSMS Integration

Full Stack from AAU to Core

MOBITELSMS's mobile core provides the complete EPC/NGC infrastructure that terminates the S1/NG interfaces from the BBU/DU connected to your Massive MIMO AAUs.

eCPRI to BBU/DU

AAU/AIR units connect via eCPRI 25GbE optical fiber to the BBU (Distributed Unit in 5G terminology). The BBU processes L1/L2 baseband and connects via S1-AP (SCTP port 36412) to MOBITELSMS's Open5GS MME and via S1-U (GTP-U) to the SGW.

MU-MIMO & QoS

MOBITELSMS's PCRF generates QoS rules (QCIs, ARPs, GBR/MBR) that propagate via S1 to the eNodeB scheduler. The scheduler uses these policies to prioritize beam allocation across the 64T64R spatial streams, ensuring premium subscribers get dedicated beam resources.

Authentication via HSS

MOBITELSMS's integrated HSS (Home Subscriber Server) handles all UE authentication via Diameter S6a toward the MME. EPS-AKA and 5G-AKA authentication vectors are generated per-UE, enabling secure LTE and 5G NR simultaneous operation on the same AAU.

5G NSA/SA Dual Mode

For 5G NSA deployments, MOBITELSMS's LTE EPC acts as the anchor: the UE attaches to LTE (eNB), then the X2 interface (SCTP 36422) signals the gNB secondary cell addition. In standalone mode, MOBITELSMS's 5G AMF/SMF/UPF (Open5GS) terminate the NG-AP and N2/N3 interfaces directly.