With Mobile AI, antenna digitalization is inevitable for intelligent networks

The accelerating deployment of 5G and 5G-Advanced (5G-A), together with the rise of generative AI, is reshaping network strategies. Carriers are shifting from simply providing ubiquitous connectivity to ensuring deterministic user experiences that support the intelligent services defining the mobile AI era.

But traditional network architectures – planned statically – cannot adapt to constantly changing user distribution and service demand. To deliver optimal, dynamic network experiences, operators will need intelligent architectures with advanced sensing, analysis, decision-making, and execution capabilities. Antennas, as the last-mile interface for wireless signals, will play a critical role in this transformation.

Antennas are key to realizing dynamic network experiences

Since the earliest days of mobile networks, Shannon's theorem has guided wireless network capacity expansion – driving advances from spectrum aggregation and wider, more efficient channels, to antenna evolution from single-band to multi-band, and from single elements to Massive MIMO.

While these innovations have boosted performance, network architectures remain largely static: planned for predicted traffic, and, once deployed, fixed. This rigidity limits their adaptability to real-world shifts in demand.

With the rise of mobile AI, user distribution and demand change more drastically, and more frequently. For example, in the central business districts of China’s major cities, user density during the morning rush hour can be 5-8 times higher than in residential areas, while in the evening, demand in residential areas is 3-5 times higher than in business districts. Urban planning changes, new transport hubs, and evolving land use add further complexity, reshaping network demand. Static networks cannot keep up, holding back user experience.

Antennas are the bridge between base stations and users, transmitting and receiving the signals that connect them. Yet traditional antennas are "dumb" devices, unable to measure their own parameters accurately or adjust dynamically – creating critical bottlenecks. Among them:

Inaccurate engineering data. Antenna installation parameters are difficult to retrieve or verify accurately. Industry surveys show that more than 38% of antennas worldwide have azimuth (horizontal pointing) deviations exceeding 15°, which simulations indicate can cause up to a 7% drop in user data speeds. These inaccuracies ripple through the entire network lifecycle – from planning to optimization and upgrades – driving repeated site visits, higher O&M costs, and performance gaps.

Fixed coverage. Antenna beams are set at installation and cannot adjust to changing demand. Even when components like BBUs and RRUs optimize parameters, the antenna’s fixed beam still limits performance. To support intelligent network transformation, antennas must be equipped with digital capabilities.

Innovative technologies make "dumb" antennas intelligent. In 2024, Huawei launched the industry's first digital antenna, the Alpha series, solving long-standing bottlenecks.

Real-time engineering parameter visibility. Equipped with a built-in next-generation antenna information sensor unit (AISU) and unique Array Information Mapping Unit (AIMU), Alpha antennas can remotely retrieve 100% accurate parameters in real time, from installation details (altitude, longitude, azimuth) to beam-tilt. These are automatically reported to the Operation and Maintenance Center (OMC) during deployment, enabling true "plug-and-play" installation and remote management, boosting O&M efficiency by 50%.

Real-time, multi-dimensional beam control. Alpha antennas can remotely adjust beam direction and shape within minutes, aligning coverage to actual traffic patterns. Beams can focus on schools during the day, shift to residential areas at night, or reorient after urban planning changes – without site visits, tower climbs, or delays. This flexibility significantly boosts network performance and enhances user experiences.

Field trials in Shenzhen showed daily traffic per base station rising from 374.4 GB to 457.2 GB after Alpha antenna deployment, with peak traffic in key optimization areas increasing by more than 60%.

Digital antennas unlock the potential of mobile AI

The convergence of 5G-A and AI is driving networks toward higher autonomy, accelerating digitalization and transformation across industries.

Equipping antennas with advanced digital capabilities is central to this evolution. With real-time engineering parameter visibility and multi-dimensional beam control, digital antennas become the "sensors" and "steering wheels" of wireless networks autonomous driving systems. As foundational elements of these systems, they enable networks to sense, analyze, decide, and execute independently - delivering dynamic user experiences and guaranteed services across diverse industry scenarios.

For carriers, digital antennas deliver clear value. By dynamically adjusting antenna beams, aligning coverage with traffic patterns across regions and time slots, carriers can reduce waste, minimize errors and delays caused by manual intervention, and improve network reliability, service quality and efficiency. In natural disasters, real-time parameter visibility enables digital antennas to quickly locate damaged sites, accelerating fault recovery and supporting critical communications.

Digital antennas can also dynamically adjust coverage to eliminate black spots (poor coverage) and blind spots (no coverage), while resolving network quality issues such as weak signals or interference. During major events, their self-adaptive capabilities ensure smooth handling of sudden traffic surges and uninterrupted service.

As a result, digital antennas are emerging as a key enabler of both network optimization and industry growth in the mobile AI era. They empower carriers to expand business opportunities, while providing unprecedented network quality experiences to consumers. As innovative technologies and applications continue to evolve, digital antennas will play an even greater role in driving smarter networks, better services, and accelerated digital transformation across industries.