Anatech Electronics March 2022 Newsletter

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Sam Benzacar of Anatech Electronics, an RF and microwave filter company, has published his March 2022 newsletter that features his short op−ed entitled "Will CBRS Private Networks Take Off?," where he discusses the pros and cons of moving to the Citizens Broadband Radio Service licensed frequency band (which means paying a usage fee) versus remaining in the licensee-free Wi-Fi spectrum. According to Sam, benefits include greater security, less interference, and lower latency for real-time processes. The biggest negative (other than having to pay for it) is the relatively narrow bandwidth that can limit data rates. CBRS private networks are only now being deployed.

As companies throughout the world move tepidly into deploying IoT, they can now add another line item in their budget: private networks based on either LTE or 5G that operate in licensed spectrum. This came about in 2017 when the FCC released the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) spectrum (Band 48), and any type of device can be used from smartphones to laptops and even IoT devices.

The benefits are that licensed frequencies that the company must acquire provide a significantly lower level of interference potential than Wi-Fi, and as transmitter RF output power is higher, they deliver far greater range, and this potentially means that fewer base stations will be required. The customer also gets the benefit of excellent (although not impregnable) security, although Wi-Fi security today is vastly superior to its predecessors and will no doubt advance in the future. Other potential benefits include low latency, which is essential for most real-time applications, and the ability to dramatically scale up the network if needed.

Not surprisingly, the major wireless carriers, as well as Amazon and others, have jumped on the private 5G bandwagon and offering packaged services that include everything from the required spectrum to hardware, installation, cloud data service, and management and operational support. That said, there is plenty of speculation about whether CBRS will prove to be a formidable competitor to entrenched solutions such as Wi-Fi and combinations of short-range wireless protocols, low-power wireless area networks (LPWANs), and other alternatives.

It's also important to remember that the CBRS band is 150 MHz wide, which isn't that much considering the high data rates that must be accommodated. In contrast, Wi-Fi 6 is 160 MHz wide and Wi-Fi 6E that adds spectrum at 6 GHz, so Wi-Fi already offers plenty of bandwidth for data-hungry applications such as virtual reality and other streaming applications.

As always, the main issue comes down to cost, and as CBRS private networks are only now being deployed, I haven't been able to nail this down with reasonable accuracy, as it obviously varies with the size and complexity of what the customer wants. I suspect it will be very high but that said, to be competitive these networks cannot be too expensive because there are certainly alternatives.

After two decades, major wireless carriers are finally turning off 3G. AT&T led the way when it shut down its 3G service on February 22 and T-Mobile will follow it on March 31. Although Verizon says that less than 1% of its subscribers still use its 3G network, smartphones aren't the only devices affected. For example, auto navigation systems, alarm systems, early e-readers, medical alert dongles, baby monitors, and many legacy loT devices still rely on these networks for data. Open Signal reported that in 2019 about 30 million people in the U.S. were still using 3G, so if any of these devices rely solely on wireless networks rather than WI-FI, services will simply disappear. Even before the "sunset" date, many users will experience a decrease in performance as the number of base stations with 3G capability continually decreases. In addition, utility companies have been using 3G for many years and have optimized their equipment based in the standard.

Northrop Grumman Developing SEWIP "Lite" - RF Cafe

Northrop Grumman is moving forward to develop a "lite" version of its AN/SLQ-32(V)7 Surface Electronic Warfare Improvement Program Block III upgrade (SEWIP Block III) that it's building for the Navy. This smaller version is designed to provide the latest EW capabilities for smaller vessels, including simultaneous advance passive RF detection of multiple threats. The capabilities of SEWIP Block III Lite should help these small craft respond to threats from anti-ship missiles, UAVs, and ships, while also providing secondary multi-mode radar and broadband communications. The system employs machine learning and AI that can analyze known and unknown waveforms, and as it is built using an open-source software and hardware architecture, it can be upgraded in place as new threats emerge.

Most U.S. retailers expect the use of 5G in their stores to rapidly increase in the next three years as the retail industry is moving toward a more "digital experience," according to a study conducted by Verizon and market research firm Incisiv. The study showed that 93% of retailers expect the use of smartphones in their stores will spike in the next few years. Some respondents also expressed concern about the ability to handle the data traffic this will generate, so they might rely on private hybrid 5G networks. Verizon and Incisiv claim that 5G will be necessary for most retailers as they compete to provide customers with the best in-store experiences, and the number of cloud-based store applications spikes in the next few years.

The Department of Defense is about to launch an imitative to make it easier for small businesses to service contractors. According to Defense News, the number of small businesses receiving contracts has been declining in the last decade because the barriers to entry are formidable. The plan comes on the heels of a pledge by Deputy Secretary of Defense, Kathleen Hicks, to create more opportunities for small companies, especially those unfamiliar with defense contracting. She noted that the number of contractors has declined by more than 40%.

Anatech Electronics introduce New Ka band 30.5 GHz Waveguide Band Pass Filter. Featuring a center frequency of 30.5 GHz, a bandwidth of 1000 MHz, an Insertion Loss 1 dB Max, and a Power Handling is 20 watts.

Anatech Electronics Introduces a New Line of Suspended Stripline and Waveguide Type RF Filters

Anatech Electronics, Inc. (AEI) specializes in the design and manufacture of standard and custom RF and microwave filters and other passive components and subsystems employed in commercial, industrial, and aerospace and applications. Products are available from an operating frequency range of 10 kHz to 30 GHz and include cavity, ceramic, crystal, LC, and surface acoustic wave (SAW), as well as power combiners/dividers, duplexers and diplexers, directional couplers, terminations, attenuators, circulators, EMI filters, and lightning arrestors. The company's custom products and capabilities are available at www.anatechelectronics.com.