Mobile Phone Technology

In busy areas, most mobile cell towers are arranged to receive and send data within a 120-degree sector. These cell towers have three aerials mounted equally around them. This creates the hexagonal cell structure pictured in articles. This is ideal when demand for services is evenly distributed throughout the area. Having all cells hexagonal makes cell management simpler.

However, there are a number of areas where spreading the signal equally over the sector is not very effective and the signal needs to be targeted. For example, if the signal is designed to be sent up and down a railway track, then a signal tuned to this direction, makes sense. Similarly, in an FWA scenario where the 'target' is a small hamlet, it would be wasteful to put a signal over some fields. Therefore, it is possible to target the presumed demand for a particular cell tower where there is an assumed need. This is a static solution to the issue of unequal demand across an area.

Beamforming within 5G is a more dynamic feature that works with MIMO. The direction of the beam can be changed to target areas of higher demand, and can dynamically react to this demand in real time. Beamforming also enables a user with high data demand to be followed.

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