Development of novel 5G fronthaul/backhaul integrated antenna systems to establish reliable 5G links in harsh maritime environments

JET正在通过部署高带宽5G浮动浮标系统提供世界上第一个“海上5G连接”，在整个海洋部门提供更高的连接和通信能力，支持英国未来无线非陆地网络（MNTN），国家安全和“净零”目标的关键国家基础设施的优先事项。到目前为止，JET已经成功地展示了我们的创新5G浮动浮标系统在海上使用新型高增益波束成形和低增益集成天线解决方案检测/转换5G信号。然而，他们的操作是不稳定的，我们对天线波束和链路性能是如何形成的洞察力是有限的，特别是在现实世界中，恶劣的操作环境中。JET现在迫切需要支持我们现在面临的主要问题，无法实现我们的5G系统的严格验证（例如，其波束成形和链路性能），以确保在现实世界的海上恶劣操作环境中的可靠性，同时进行模拟，以深入了解如何优化波束成形的操作，以确保可靠的链路。这个问题必须在开发的这个阶段解决，以避免与客户一起部署天线并发现问题。为了解决这个问题，该项目旨在建立和验证我们的新型前传和回程集成天线系统。重点将放在制定和验证我们的天线系统的整体有效性，允许广播天线的技术优化和改进，以保证为用户提供最佳连接，最大限度地减少对无线电环境和使用额外天线的干扰。在整个项目中，NPL将提供咨询，并对天线系统进行一系列波束方向图和无线链路评估，降低未来开发清晰解决方案的风险，以解决JET当前长期存在的技术问题。在短期内，该项目使JET能够聘请额外的RF工程师，他将与我们的团队一起工作，以提高我们的专业知识。根据我们错过的网络销售机会，我们估计JET解决方案在未来10年的长期价值将超过4.12亿英镑。我们预计，通过向一系列海事市场提供额外服务，我们在选定和扩展市场的收入将进一步增加，从而促进安全性，可持续性和智能运营。该项目进一步促进了海上环境中的整体5G连接和商业发展。我们天线系统的开发和验证提供了一个解决方案，可以积极提高英国的弹性，同时也支持净零目标和水平提升计划。

JET is delivering world-first "5G connectivity at sea" through the deployment of high-bandwidth 5G floating-buoy systems, offering increased connectivity and communication capabilities throughout the marine sector, supporting the UK's priorities of critical national infrastructure for future wireless non-terrestrial network (MNTN), national security and 'net zero' ambitions. To date, JET has successfully demonstrated the detection/transition of 5G signals with our innovative 5G floating-buoy systems at sea using a novel high-gain-beamforming & low-gain integrated-antenna solution. However, their operations are unstable, and our insight understanding of how antenna beams and link performance are formed is limited, especially in real-world, harsh operating environments.JET now urgently needs support on the major problem we now face, having an inability in attaining rigorous validations of our 5G systems (e.g., its beamforming and link performance) to ensure reliably in real-world harsh operating environments at sea, alongside simulations to develop an insight understanding on how beamforming's operation may be optimised to ensure reliable link. This problem must be overcome at this stage of development, to avoid having to deploy antennas with customers and finding issues.To tackle this problem, this project aims to establish and validate our novel fronthaul and backhaul integrated antenna systems. Focus will be given to formulating and validating the overall validity of our antenna systems, allowing for technology optimisation and refinement of broadcast antennas to guarantee the best possible connections for users, with minimum possible interference released into the radio-environment and additional antennas used. Throughout the project NPL will provide consultancy, as well as conducting a series of beam-pattern and wireless link evaluations of antenna systems, de-risking future development of a clear solution to JET current long-running technical problem.In the short-term this project enables JET to hire an additional RF engineer, who will work alongside our team to increase our expertise. We estimate the long-term value of the JET solution will be greater than £412-million over the next 10 years, based on our missed network sale opportunities. The revenues we anticipate within our chosen and extended markets will be further increased through additional service provision to a range of maritime markets, facilitating increased safety, sustainability and smart operations. This project further contributes to the overall 5G connectivity and commercial developments within the offshore environment. The development and validation of our antenna systems delivers a solution which positively improves resilience within the UK, whilst also supporting Net-Zero ambitions and Levelling-Up Agendas.