World’s first full duplex wireless transport unveiled

At Nokia, we are continually pushing the boundaries of what's possible, aiming to not only meet but exceed the expectations of operators and their subscribers.  Today, we are thrilled to announce a groundbreaking advancement in wireless transport technology: Nokia's world-first full duplex transmission for wireless backhaul and fronthaul. This innovation sets new industry standards and paves the way for future 6G and spectrum evolution beyond 100GHz.

The need for innovation

Operators around the globe have been vocal about their need for more spectral efficiency in their networks. With the increasing demand for high-bandwidth applications, network vendors are keen on investigating solutions which go beyond the traditional frequency division duplexing (FDD) systems, which use separate frequencies for transmission (Tx) and reception (Rx). While one approach involves adopting line of sight (LoS) multiple input, multiple output (MIMO), at Nokia, we have explored a different, more innovative path that I will explore in further detail throughout this blog.

A groundbreaking achievement

Nokia has achieved what was once thought impossible – the first-ever full duplex wireless transmission for fixed point-to-point links. This has been demonstrated in the D-Band spectrum (130 to 175 GHz) with our Wavence Ultra-Broadband Transceiver (UBT) radio, featuring fully in-house components. This pioneering technology allows for simultaneous transmission and reception of signals over a single channel, effectively doubling the capacity of a traditional FDD system. With this technology, we've demonstrated an impressive 10+10 Gbps capacity – 10 Gbps for the uplink and 10 Gbps for the downlink - over a single 2GHz channel, setting a new benchmark for efficiency and performance in wireless fronthaul and backhaul.

Outperforming the alternatives

Full duplex technology not only enhances spectral efficiency by 100% compared to current systems but also offers significant advantages over LoS MIMO, including:

• Enhanced Energy Efficiency: Full duplex offers a 100% increase in energy efficiency.

• Cost Savings: Operators can expect to see up to 50% less hardware required.

• Simplified Deployment: Unlike the complex setups required for LoS MIMO, full duplex systems are straightforward to deploy, requiring a single part number for all use cases, which in turn simplifies logistics and spare parts management.

A new standard to meet increasing capacity needs

For operators, the benefits of full duplex are clear: more efficient use of the spectrum, reduced energy and capital expenditures and simplified operations. For subscribers, it means more reliable, faster services capable of supporting the next generation of wireless applications towards 6G. For the industry, it sets a new standard in how we think about solving the challenge of increasing data demand.

We are just at the beginning of this exciting new chapter in wireless communications. This blog offers only a glimpse into the potential of full duplex technology to transform backhaul and fronthaul networks.

As we move forward, Nokia is committed to delivering solutions that align with both customer needs and industry demands. To learn more about what we are achieving in the world of microwave technology, reach out to our experts or visit our microwave web page here.     

Let's redefine the future of connectivity together.