They are at the heart of mobile networks. Deployed throughout a territory, base stations maintain the invisible link between mobile users and their contacts.

The network of base stations allows them to move around without losing the thread of the conversation and to be reached anywhere.

In mobile networks, antennas are transmitters/receivers of radio waves that carry traffic over a given territory. Just as television and radio are powered by transmitters, mobile phones could not function without them. Their deployment has a dual purpose: to ensure the widest possible geographical coverage; and to maintain a sufficient density of relays to handle all the traffic at a given point.

Because of the way radio waves propagate, antennas are usually installed high up, for example on the roofs of buildings or on top of masts. Their beam spreads out like that of a lighthouse illuminating the sea, reaching the ground only at a distance of 50 to 200 metres from the antenna, depending on its height. And the further away you are, the more the beam decreases in intensity.

The different types of antennas

At various points in the territory, operators install different types of relay antennas, with powers ranging from a few milliwatts to several dozen watts.

Panel antennas are generally used in large cells. They can carry a large number of simultaneous communications but only transmit in a 120° sector. For this reason, a single mast or building roof terrace carries three antennas to relay communications at 360°.

Omni-directional antennas are more suitable for small cells, and are installed on building facades or street furniture in dense areas with a lot of mobile traffic (stations, airports, shopping centres, etc.). As the name suggests, they transmit in all directions.

The massive MIMO - Multi-Input Multi-Output" antennas allow access to large frequency bands for very high connection speeds. Their "agile" technology will have the ability to direct their beams to a multitude of terminals in mobility thanks to their multifocal architecture. They will therefore have the advantage of better directing the signal to the user, aiming it as they move, like an actor under a spotlight benefiting from a sharper light signal.

In particular, they make it possible to

- limit power consumption

- accommodate a greater number of users and increase throughput

- significantly improve the quality of the signal to the user while reducing unnecessary emissions around the antenna.

Finally, small indoor antennas with a power of a few tens of milliwatts and a range of a few metres can be installed on walls and ceilings, to serve as mobile relays or Wi-Fi access points inside or around buildings (hotels, offices, stations, etc.) and street furniture (bus shelters, advertising panels).