Samsung Brings 5G Indoors With New Commercial 5G mmWave Small Cell For In-Building Use

Samsung Electronics today unveiled a new integrated 5G mmWave small cell for indoor use as part of the company’s full suite of 5G in-building products, Samsung Link.

Samsung’s new 5G indoor small cell–Link Cell–will help provide seamless and enhanced 5G experiences to users in indoor environments. It delivers 5G-powered applications within enterprises, including manufacturing or distribution facilities, corporate offices, and entertainment or public venues (such as shopping centers, stadiums or hotels). Link Cell is among the first commercial products available globally that provides wireless operators with a mmWave indoor small cell.

Link Cell gives wireless operators a way to extend 5G service—with its high throughput and low latency capabilities—into businesses and venues. It is also a critical component for future private 5G networks in enterprises, such as manufacturing, healthcare, retail and warehouse facilities.

Verizon will be the first U.S. wireless operator to commercially deploy Samsung’s Link Cell, which the wireless provider will use to extend the footprint of its 5G Ultra Wideband network. This marks a new phase in delivering enterprise private 5G networks, and advancing next generation cellular technology use cases and applications. Verizon recently announced lab trials of 5G in-building solutions, which used Samsung Link.

“Verizon continues to rapidly advance our 5G deployment, and the addition of indoor cell sites will extend the availability of the fastest 5G service in the U.S. This is a key step in providing industry-changing, scalable, latency-sensitive, robust 5G solutions for enterprises,” said Adam Koeppe, Senior Vice President of Technology Planning and Development at Verizon.

The first version of Samsung’s Link Cell will support 28GHz and has the capability to combine four 100MHz bandwidth of frequencies, offering high capacity and ultra-fast download speeds. Moreover, it brings together a radio, antenna and digital unit into one compact box, and is less than 4 liters in volume, one of the smallest in the industry.

Link Cell offers fast and easy indoor installation; it can be discretely placed on walls or ceilings, similar to a Wi-Fi access point, while minimizing noise through fanless convection cooling. Designed to self-organize, Link Cell will adjust for optimal RF performance, allowing mobile applications to seamlessly operate within a facility or—as applications transition from a macro 5G network outside to the in-building network—maintain high-quality communications continuity. Link Cell is available now for wireless operators to purchase for use in commercial rollouts.

To see a video of Samsung’s indoor solutions, visit here or for the new Link Cell, visit here.

“Today, we are excited to unveil Samsung Link for wireless operators to expand the capabilities of 5G networks and seamlessly link together outdoor and indoor 5G experiences,” said Jaeho Jeon, Executive Vice President and Head of R&D, Networks Business at Samsung Electronics. “As one of the first commercial 5G mmWave indoor small cells, Link Cell will enable wireless operators and enterprises to bring 5G services to various offices, facilities and venue locations.”

The new Samsung Link portfolio features several solutions to help businesses address indoor 5G service needs. In addition to Link Cell, Samsung will deliver solutions supporting other indoor needs and spectrums. Link Hub and Link HubPro provide low and mid-band support to operators and enterprises.

Link Hub is designed for venues with existing Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS), providing low and mid-band 5G service across an existing in-building infrastructure. Link HubPro is an active antenna system, which includes a hub and indoor radios for mid-to-large enterprises with support for various spectrum options. Link Hub and Link HubPro are expected to begin commercial rollouts beginning 1Q 2021.

Samsung’s Link Cell features the Qualcomm 5G RAN platform, which builds on the collaboration between Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and Samsung. According to Durga Malladi, Senior Vice President and General Manager, 4G/5G, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., “Small cells are an excellent vehicle to deliver the incredible speed, capacity and low latency benefits of 5G mmWave to indoor locations. We are very pleased to continue our long standing relationship with Samsung to support development of high-performance 5G small cell infrastructure that addresses the challenging power and size requirements for enterprise deployments, using Qualcomm Technologies’ 5G RAN Modem-RF technology.”

Samsung is a pioneer in the successful delivery of 5G end-to-end solutions including chipset, radio, and core network technologies. The company has supported 5G commercial service in leading markets, including Korea and the U.S., where the majority of worldwide 5G subscribers are located, and it is supporting the expansion of 5G in Japan. In addition, the company is rapidly expanding its global footprint to new markets, including Canada and New Zealand.

Qualcomm 5G RAN Platform is a product of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. Qualcomm is trademark or registered trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated.