Ericsson and Nokia face multibeam antenna challenge in 5G

TL;DR: Light Reading reported that Ericsson and Nokia’s 5G radio strategy based on massive MIMO is facing competition from multibeam antenna systems promoted by Amphenol and MatSing.

Light Reading reported that Ericsson and Nokia’s 5G network strategy is being challenged by lens-based multibeam antenna technology from Amphenol and MatSing. The report describes these products as an alternative to massive MIMO, or massive multiple-input multiple-output, which uses large numbers of antenna elements to improve 5G capacity and coverage.

The article says Amphenol and MatSing are promoting passive lens-based antenna designs rather than the active antenna systems commonly used in massive MIMO equipment from Ericsson and Nokia. The report frames this as a competitive threat to the vendors’ 5G infrastructure position.

The source excerpt does not provide launch dates, deployment figures, operator names, country names, or technical performance data for the multibeam products. Based on the available source text, the article’s central fact is that lens-based multibeam antennas are being positioned against massive MIMO systems in the 5G market.