Assuming a frequency between 3800 – 4100 MHz, for the uplink path (from a camera or other end device) we would expect coverage up to 600m from the antenna with good line-of-sight. This can increase to just over 1km on the downlink path. The reason for this difference between downlink & uplink comes down to difference in size and power of the radio’s antenna and the (likely internal, embedded) antennas on the end device.

Achievable distances will vary depending on frequency, antenna choice (omni-directional or sector), the power requirements of your spectrum licence, line-of-sight, network load, environmental clutter, and RF conditions in the area. We are always happy to give an estimate to our customers for any particular deployment, and can also provide RF simulation services for a more accurate picture of the event. As our solutions are designed to work on dedicated spectrum, we would not expect any in-band RF interference, but we would always encourage a spectrum survey prior to deployment to rule out any unexpected or illegal transmissions in the area.

This depends on a few things. The most important are your allocated bandwidth in your spectrum licence, your downlink/uplink MIMO configuration, and how you have configured the Uplink/Downlink Biasing TDD Mode within our nibOS software.

Assuming 100 MHz of bandwidth, 4×4 Downlink MIMO, and a downlink biased configuration (7:2), there is a theoretical maximum of 1500 Mbps. This maximum would require an absolutely ideal RF environment, with a perfectly functioning UE positioned in perfect coverage. In practice, we have seen as high as 1200 Mbps in good coverage.

Assuming 100 MHz of bandwidth, 2×2 Uplink MIMO, and an uplink biased configuration (2:7), there is a theoretical maximum of 750 Mbps. In practice, we have seen as high as 600 Mbps. Our network actually supports 4×4 Uplink MIMO, which would in theory double our achievable data rates, but unfortunately we are not aware of any end devices that support this. In our experience, it is only some newer camera-back encoder models that feature 2×2 Uplink MIMO capability.

If we assume that the network is deployed in an uplink biased (2:7) configuration, with 1 cell, and that none of the end devices are capable of uplink MIMO, then the values in the table below should give a good representation of what would be possible.

If all of the end devices were capable of uplink MIMO, then these numbers would effectively double. There will of course be slight variations depending on venue specifics.

To provide coverage for a stadium bowl (including the stands, and any field of play), we would generally recommend two cells, especially if coverage is required down an entrance tunnel or similar. However, for many stadiums we have found that one Neutral Wireless cell is enough for most use cases – especially if there is a specific area of interest (such as a football pitch, or a VIP fan area) which the antenna can be directed towards.

The RF environment within each stadium can vary significantly depending on stadium size and construction, and the presence of any large public cellular cells or DAS systems, which may sometimes raise the noise floor outside of their allocated spectrum.