A High-Performance, Low-Cost Solution for Enhancing Capacity in Urban 5G Small Cells

Abstract

The rapid evolution of wireless communication systems has led to an unprecedented demand for high-capacity, cost-effective network infrastructure in urban environments. This research presents a novel wideband ribbon antenna design optimized for 5G small cell base stations operating in the 3.5 GHz frequency band. The proposed antenna leverages a modified tapered ribbon structure implemented on low-cost FR4 substrate to achieve a significantly expanded bandwidth of 1.2 GHz, representing a 30% improvement over comparable designs in literature. Through electromagnetic simulation and prototype testing, the antenna demonstrates omnidirectional radiation patterns with gain ≥5 dBi and efficiency ≥85%, while maintaining compact dimensions (10 cm × 10 cm) and single-layer construction. Network simulations reveal that enhanced bandwidth enables a 25-30% increase in small cell capacity, supporting 40-50 simultaneous users compared to 32-35 for baseline designs. Economic analysis indicates a 40-50% manufacturing cost reduction compared to Rogers-based designs, with potential to reduce small cell count by 20-25% in urban networks. The significance of this work lies in its potential to address a critical bottleneck in 5G network densification by enabling higher capacity through expanded bandwidth, while simultaneously reducing implementation costs through material selection and manufacturing simplicity. This pragmatic solution offers network operators tangible economic benefits through reduced infrastructure requirements, ultimately accelerating the deployment of 5G small cells in urban environments.