27 Feb 2020

New 3D mapping solution to aid 5G network planning

HERE Technologies has unveiled HERE Geodata Models – a highly precise and scalable 3D digital representation of the physical environment surrounding 5G antennas – to help telecommunications companies accelerate the planning and deployment of their 5G wireless networks.

The 3D mapping solution will create models of the buildings, trees and roadside objects (such as streetlights, utility poles, overpasses, and billboards) surrounding antennas. Network planners and radio frequency engineers can then conduct field surveys remotely to precisely plan optimal locations for 5G antennas.

Operators may need to install up to ten times as many cell sites per km² for 5G compared to 4G networks. This is because 5G signal paths within mmWave spectrum bands are vulnerable to obstruction from ground level objects such as buildings, trees and billboards. Location precision and scalability can help network operators adapt to the behaviour of signals within the mmWave band.

Giovanni Lanfranchi, chief technology officer at HERE Technologies, said, “It’s an exciting time for the telecom industry, with the focus on delivering outstanding network services today while investing in 5G and advanced network capabilities that are powering the future of consumer and business IoT. HERE Geodata Models provides the detail mobile network operators need to accelerate the design, deployment and benefit of 5G networks worldwide.”