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3rd QUARTER 2008
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The Radio Frequency Systems Bulletin
The Clear Choice ®
CELLFLEX Lite across the globe
The world of WiMAX
ClearFill ‘online’ in Channel Tunnel Link
Wireless Vietnam on the move
RFS builds up for broadcast

3 Editorial
Exit AMPS; enter all-IP
4 What’s New
Introducing the Optimizer CELlite BSA
RFS unveils suite of ferrite devices
‘One-size-fits-all’ ultra-light broadband
WiMAX filter
ClearFill Line expands for mobile TV indoors
New five-sided panel array for
unsurpassed HRP
ClearFill goes ‘online’
in Channel Tunnel link
ClearFill Line has been
deployed at the UK end
of the Channel Tunnel
Rail Link, forming a key
element of the wireless
communications system
for the high-speed rail
upgrade.
8
7
Radio Frequency Systems
WorldWideWeb: http://www.rfsworld.com
Publisher/Editor Asia-Pacific: Peter Walters
Executive Editor/Editor EMAI: Regine Suling
Editor Americas North: Paula Mennone-Preisner
Editor Americas South: Pilar Lopes
Managing Editor: Ben Lazzaro
Production Editor: Christian Michatsch
Art Director: Sabine Gregor, Heidi Jünemann
2 CONTENTS
Authors: Allan Alderson, Paul Fry, Dr. Ellen Gregory,
Ben Lazzaro, Patrick Wong
Photos: RFS archives, Getty Images, Peter Humfryes
(Pete’s Pix), Tony Koopmans, Shelton Muller,
Hans-Peter Quade, Regine Suling, Thales, Erik Wille,
Rick Yang, inform archives
Cover art: Sabine Gregor
Print: Print Design, Minden
Layout and Graphics:
inform Advertising, Hannover
Editorial Services:
Relate Technical Communications, Melbourne
Trademarks: CELLFLEX ® , ClearFill ® , BDA ® ,
FLEXWELL ® , MicroTenna TM , OMNI FIT TM , Optimizer ® ,
Radio Frequency Systems ® , RAPID FIT TM , RFS ® ,
RFS CompactLine ® , SlimLine ® , RGFLEX ® , HELIFLEX ® ,
RADIAFLEX ® and The Clear Choice ® are trademarks,
service marks or registered trademarks of Radio
Frequency Systems. All other trademarks are the
property of their respective owners.
IMPRINT
7 Wireless INdoor Solutions
ClearFill goes ‘online’ in Channel Tunnel link
8 Cover Story
CELLFLEX Lite across the globe
10 Regional Focus
Wireless Vietnam on the move
12 Wireless Infrastructure
Solutions
The world of WiMAX
14 Broadcast
Built for broadcast
16 RF Technology 101
Radiating cable revealed
18 In Touch
RFS exhibits a ‘rich mix’ at CommunicAsia
2008
ClearFill Line WINS at Beijing Olympics
MyRFS means online business
DSO comes to Neunkirchen
Take the ClearFill Space1 VirtualTour
CELLFLEX Lite across the globe
The world’s first corrugated aluminum transmission
line, CELLFLEX Lite, is proving valuable
all over the world. Its premium performance,
coupled with lightweight construction, makes
CELLFLEX Lite a preferred transmission solution
for fast-track network roll-out.
10
Built for broadcast
Brand-new purpose-built
broadcast equipment facilities
in Australia and the UK have
cemented RFS as a leader in
the global broadcast sector.
The new facilities provide
industry with premium access
to RFS’s extensive portfolio of
broadcast solutions.
Wireless Vietnam on the
move
Propelled by an influx of
foreign investment, and strong
economic and geographic
drivers for wireless adoption,
Vietnam’s wireless communications
sector is growing at
a phenomenal rate—growth
supported by RFS’s suite of
tailored RF solutions.
12
The world of WiMAX
WiMAX promises much to a wide range of
mainstream and niche wireless sector players.
It also presents some significant challenges
from an RF and network planning perspective.
14

Exit AMPS; enter all-IP
A significant milestone in the history of mobile
telephony was reached in February this year, and
for many, it passed unnoticed. The once-massive
U.S. Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS)
networks were finally given the green light to
close down by the U.S. spectrum regulator, the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The
ruling behind this—the so-called ‘analog sunset’
rule—was actually put into place by the FCC back
in September 2002, giving the industry and market
some five years to prepare.
The closure of the last of the U.S. AMPS networks
represents the end of an era in mobile telephony.
Established in 1983, the AMPS networks are almost
a quarter of century old. Today, AMPS, along with
other analog mobile systems such as Nordic Mobile
Telephone (NMT) and Total Access Communication System
(TACS), is almost extinct. Of the approximately three
billion mobile subscribers in the world today, less
than one percent currently uses an analog network.
was where illegal network interceptors tapped
into an AMPS call, determined the electronic
identity of the subscriber, then replicated it
on another handset. Much time and effort
was spent in developing technical solutions to
overcome this now almost-forgotten weakness
in the analog platform.
All this aside, it is important to note that, prior
to the early-nineties arrival of second-generation
wireless platforms, AMPS was the most widely
deployed mobile phone standard in the world.
In many respects AMPS, together with global
systems for mobile communications (GSM),
provided the foundation of today’s mobile
telephone world. We are witnessing the
retirement of a cornerstone of contemporary
wireless communications.
being just a fraction of those founded on
conventional circuit-switched core networks.
Perhaps more important, is the object-centric
nature of an all-IP world. In effect, everything
may be connected with everything—onboard
IP portals embedded in devices ranging from
refrigerators to automobiles, will underscore a
new age of functionality and connectivity. Just
imagine the earlier example of the problematic
AMPS in-vehicle communications systems,
projected into an all-IP future.
A clear example of the power of all-IP is what
we are already seeing happen in the television
broadcast realm. Here, once sacred domains
—such as sports broadcasting—are being eroded
away by new players, armed only with a broadband
connection to the home and a commitment to
‘end-to-end’ IP-connectivity. This powerful pipe to
the subscriber is moving the battle lines, and the
wireless sector is well-placed to succeed.
Stéphane Klajzyngier
Radio Frequency Systems President
EDITORIAL
3
Like all transitions, this one is not without controversy.
A few million subscribers remain on the
U.S. AMPS network, which support services such
as cell phone voice calls, wireless home-security
and fire-alarm system backup links, and—most
notably—a number of in-vehicle communications
systems. The last provides motorists with
wireless support services such as vehicle security
alarm monitoring, accident assistance, and
power-door unlocking. A comparatively simple
and inexpensive analog-to-digital upgrade is
already available to smooth the transition for
in-vehicle communications.
The upside of the shutdown is, of course,
the so-called ‘digital dividend’ that the AMPS
network retirements will bring—the reduced
network opex, plus the freeing up of significant
amounts of Cellular-band (800MHz) spectrum.
This, in turn, opens opportunities to provide
new wireless services.
During its 24-year history, the AMPS service
exhibited many quirks and subscriber challenges.
Notable among these were its susceptibility to
static and noise, and the 1990s problem of
subscriber ‘cloning’. A wireless equivalent of
today’s ‘Internet identity theft’, AMPS cloning
The shutdown of the U.S. AMPS network is, in
many ways, a finale in a wave of digitalization that
we have seen over the past decade, right across
the wireless world. Here I am not simply talking
about the digitalization of cell-based mobile
communications. We are witnessing precisely
the same digital revolution in all other wireless
communications sectors: in the digital switchover
of free-to-air television networks; in emergency
services with service groups moving to digital
platforms such as terrestrial trunked radio (TETRA)
and Project 25 (P25); and in railway communications
as the industry moves to digital platforms
such as GSM-railway communication (GSM-R).
The next wireless revolution will be a move
to end-to-end IP connectivity in the wireless
domain—‘all-IP’ is clearly the shape of things to
come. While requiring significant infrastructure
investment, the attraction of an all-IP network
is two-fold: reduced costs and enhanced
connectivity. From the wireless carrier’s
perspective, there are great opex benefits to be
had, with the operating cost of an all-IP network
All-IP wireless connectivity represents new
opportunities and business models, as well as new
challenges, many of these in the RF domain. As
with the 1990s/2000s wireless digital revolution,
these RF challenges are largely unpredictable,
and will unfold over the course of trials and
deployment. And just as was the case over the last
decade of wireless digitalization, RFS is committed
to providing leading-edge, end-to-end RF
infrastructure solutions in an all-IP world.
On the eve of this imminent IP revolution, it is
worth contrasting the functionality, form-factor
and power of the AMPS ‘brick’ mobile phone
of just 15 years ago, with the latest-generation,
application-centric handsets of today. Projecting
such touch-screen based handsets across a
similar 15-year transition fires the imagination.
RFS will be there, every step of the way, to
support these exciting revolutions.
Stéphane Klajzyngier

Introducing the
Optimizer CELlite BSA
Assisting fast-track wireless network
deployments across the globe, Radio Frequency
Systems has launched the new high-performance
Optimizer CELlite base station antenna (BSA)
series. The slimline dual-polarized Optimizer
CELlite antenna series complements RFS’s
popular vertically-polarized CELlite variant,
providing users with an extremely stable and
lightweight antenna solution.
The new Optimizer CELlite antenna series
supports all services between 806MHz and
960MHz, and exhibits the superior performance
of the RFS Optimizer antenna family—including
upper side lobe suppression typically better
than 18dB across the entire frequency range,
high gain, and impressive front-to-back ratio
(typically around 28dB).
According to Rick Yang, RFS Area Product
Manager Wireless Infrastructure Solutions, the
latest addition to RFS’s world-renowned Optimizer
antenna suite features a robust microstripline
power feed system constructed from monolithic
aluminum, in place of the traditional cabled
feed system. “This, coupled with the antenna’s
one-piece panel construction and reduced
number of weld joints delivers advanced
passive intermodulation (PIM) performance,”
he said. “Optimized PIM performance plays a
significant role in maximizing call quality and
avoiding dropped calls—crucial in high-capacity
networks.”
The new Optimizer CELlite antenna series also
provides network operators with new levels of
deployment and operational flexibility. “The
new Optimizer CELlite BSA has been designed
to accommodate the rapid roll-out of wireless
networks in densely populated regions,” said
Yang. “Its lightweight construction makes it
quick and easy to install, while its advanced RF
performance makes it ideal for providing coverage
in high-capacity wireless networks.”
The first release of RFS’s new Optimizer
CELlite antenna series comprises three
variants—the 6.5-foot 0-degree fixed-tilt
(APX86-906515S-CT0), the 8.5-foot 0-degree
fixed-tilt (APX86-906516S-CT0), and the 8.5-foot
six-degree fixed-tilt (APX86-906516S-CT6).
4 WHAT’S NEW
RFS unveils suite
of ferrite devices
Radio Frequency Systems has unveiled an
exciting new suite of ferrite isolators and
circulators. Specially engineered to enhance
stability, performance and reliability of RF
systems, over 2000 different RFS Ferrocom
ferrite devices are available for easy
integration into a wide range of commercial
mobile and public safety base stations, plus RF
and microwave systems. The devices exhibit
premium electrical performance and are
market-leaders in terms of overall quality and
reliability, as demonstrated by the long and
successful heritage of the Ferrocom brand.
“Ferrocom has an unequalled reputation
for producing premium-quality ferrite
products, which RFS has long utilised in our
sophisticated filtering and combining
solutions,” said Larry Heisler, RFS Director
of Marketing and Product Management.
“The RFS Ferrocom brand will continue that
tradition of excellence,
and complements the
broader RFS suite of
wireless infrastructure
solutions.”
Engineered for
performance
According to Heisler,
the primary purpose
of a ferrite isolator
is to compensate for
mismatch between RF
system components,
which can otherwise lead to power being
reflected back into sensitive electrical
equipment, such as power amplifiers and base
stations. “Ferrite devices are highly critical
system components that are introduced
to deflect reflected power,” he said. “This
both improves the efficiency of the system
and prevents the electrical equipment from
over-heating.”
RFS Ferrocom Engineering Manager, Tam
Nguyen, emphasized that the RFS Ferrocom
devices are ideal for applications where low

‘One-size-fits-all’ ultra-light
broadband WiMAX filter
An entirely new family of ultra-lightweight RF
filters designed for Worldwide interoperability
for microwave access (WiMAX) applications
has been unveiled by Radio Frequency
Systems. Founded on the company’s patented
polymer-based air-cavity filter technology, the
filter family boasts a body-weight of just 300g
(10 ounces)—less than 50 percent of that of
competing WiMAX filter solutions.
The family comprises four separate filters with
passbands designed to support the 2.2, 2.3, 2.5
and 3.5GHz WiMAX sub-bands—the widest
range of sub-bands currently allocated for WiMAX
applications across the Americas, Europe, and the
Asia-Pacific region. Specifically designed for timedivision
domain (TDD) WiMAX applications, all
member of the RFS WiMAX broadband filter family
exhibit common package dimensions, regardless
of the filter’s passband frequency. This streamlines
end-user logistics and simplifies filter mounting.
“The common demand from OEMs in the
WiMAX domain is for a broadband filter that
can be built into active WiMAX equipment,
such as Micro BTS or remote radio head,”
said RFS Area Product Manager Erik Wille.
“To simplify OEM logistics and equipment
development, there is a very real need for a filter
family that fits into the exact same package
dimensions, regardless of its WiMAX band.
This is precisely what RFS has achieved with
this unique new range of WiMAX broadband
filters—‘a one-size-fits-all’ ultra-lightweight
WiMAX broadband filter family.”
RFS’s unique polymer filter technology provides
a filter with a body weight of less than half
that of equivalent legacy aluminum filters, yet
retains optimal filter performance. Mechanical
stability and high-precision mechanical
tolerances are ensured by incorporating glass
fiber and mineral filler reinforcement in the
polymer material. Optimum thermal expansion
properties are achieved via a unique blend of
polymer materials.
Founded on high-Q cavities and engineered
to provide premium RF performance, the new
WiMAX filters boast low insertion loss (typically
0.3dB in-band at room temperature) and
excellent power-handling capabilities.
Each member of the WiMAX filter family provides
two filters within its silver-plated comblineconstruction
filter body. The two-channel
filters feature multiple resonators—two x six
resonators within the 2.2GHz and 2.3GHz
variants; and two x eight resonators in the
2.5GHz and 3.5GHz models—with all resonators
located in exactly the same position for easy
interchangeability. All this is offered in a
compact slim-line (40mm/1.5-inch-thick
package of less than 0.7 liters/40 cubic
inches.
WHAT’S NEW
5
insertion loss, high linearity and ability to
withstand high-power are critical. “These are
the most important performance characteristics
of ferrite devices,” he said. “RFS Ferrocom
devices exhibit extremely low insertion loss
in the range 0.1 to 0.5 dB, depending on
frequency and model. They will also handle
up to 250W forward power, and up to four
times as much peak power. In addition, the
devices exhibit excellent intermodulation and
linearity performance—among the best in the
industry.”
Easily integrated
Comprising over 2000 different existing
designs and supporting frequencies from
80MHz to 40GHz, the RFS Ferrocom
suite encompasses three main types of
ferrite device: ‘drop in’ devices, offering
cost-effective and space-efficient solutions;
coaxial devices, ideal for low-frequency
applications; and waveguide devices, most
used for high-frequency applications (typically
26 to 40GHz), or those requiring extremely
low insertion loss. All devices support easy
integration into RF systems.
In addition, RFS Ferrocom manufactures
integrated modules incorporating ferrite
devices, such as the ‘isoadapter’ (for bridging
coaxial and waveguide applications), the
‘isodetector’ (featuring detector circuitry),
or the ‘isofilter’ (incorporating filters to
provide out-of-band frequency rejection). RFS
Ferrocom devices can also be custom-designed
to suit precise specifications—including
unique electrical requirements or enhanced
performance specifications—for a wide range
of applications.
“Every RFS Ferrocom device is a precisionengineered
component,” said Nguyen. “We
use the highest-quality materials, and adhere
to rigorous manufacturing methods—such
as temperature cycling to stabilize materials,
plus mechanical pressurization to ensure
device stability for a long lifecycle. In addition,
we design to high margins on performance
specifications, and every unit is factory-tested.
We take quality and reliability extremely
seriously.”

ClearFill Line expands for mobile TV indoors
In support of emerging mobile TV services—for
which quality in-building and in-tunnel coverage
will be essential—Radio Frequency Systems has
expanded its ClearFill Line solution-set of passive
Wireless INdoor Solutions (WINS).
ClearFill Line consists of purely
passive RF distribution systems
founded on RFS’s well-known
broadband
transmission
line and radiating cable
solutions. The introduction
of new
components
optimized
for
In support of mobile TV in the lower UHF band, the
ClearFill Line suite includes a lightweight ultra-broadband
omni indoor antenna (380MHz to 6GHz).
broadband operation down to lower UHF
frequencies (380 to 860MHz) completes the
transition of ClearFill Line into the broadest
ultra-broadband solution on the market.
According to Peter Raabe, RFS Director Global
Product Management and Support for WINS,
“closing the UHF gap” represents the final
evolution stage for the passive distributed
antenna systems (DAS) at the heart of
ClearFill Line. “RFS now offers the broadest
ultra-broadband passive DAS on the market,” he
said. “ClearFill Line delivers premium coverage
solutions for all emerging and existing wireless
applications—from digital video broadcast
to handhelds (DVB-H) in UHF frequencies to
worldwide interoperability for microwave
access (WiMAX).”
The expanded ClearFill Line suite includes
a new ultra-broadband omni indoor
antenna (model I-ATO1-380/6000) which
has an operating range of 380MHz to 6GHz.
Extremely lightweight at just 400g (0.9lb), the
ultra-broadband omni’s power rating of 50W
makes it ideal for multi-service operation in an
indoor environment.
New models of directional couplers and power
dividers, supporting frequencies between 380
and 2700MHz, have also been added. These
new elements all exhibit excellent passive
intermodulation (PIM) performance and a high
power rating to support multiple services.
• Hybrid coupler (3dB)—achieving high
isolation between two combined signals
• Directional couplers (6, 10 and 15dB)
—achieving constant coupling ratio across
the entire frequency range
• Power dividers (2-, 3- and 4-way)
—exhibiting low insertion loss for optimum
performance
These new elements complement the balance of
the ClearFill Line ultra-broadband solution-set,
which includes: ultra-broadband power dividers
(350MHz to 6GHz), RADIAFLEX radiating cable
and CELLFLEX transmission line.
6 WHAT’S NEW
New five-sided panel
array for unsurpassed HRP
Leveraging its experience and expertise in
broadcast panel design, Radio Frequency
Systems has introduced a new five-sided
horizontally polarized panel antenna. The new
five-sided PHP 5S panel array delivers advanced
levels of horizontal radiation pattern (HRP)
performance. Engineered for digital television
(DTV) applications, the new PHP 5S panel
antenna supports multiple channel operation
over the entire UHF band (470-860 MHz), and
directly addresses the growing global demand
for fully broadband high-performance antenna
systems.
According to RFS European Sales Director for
Broadcast and Defense Systems, Dave Thickett,
the new PHP 5S antenna delivers unsurpassed
omni-directional HRP performance across the
entire UHF band. “The new five-sided panel
incorporates RFS’s advanced dipole design and
a new ‘winged’ back screen,” he said. “Not
only does the new antenna design deliver more
uniform coverage, it also allows improved HRP
modeling and prediction, and hence coverage
area. This is particularly advantageous for
data-intensive DTV broadcasts.”
The new five-sided PHP 5S panel antenna
features high power-handling capability (up to
5000 watts for the dual-input version), enabling
it to support a large number of services in a
multi-channel system. According to Thickett,
it does so with a return loss better than 26dB
across the full band.
Constructed from aluminum and fiberglass, the
new PHP 5S panel is lightweight and easy to
install. It is designed to be incorporated into
RFS’s five-sided column to provide optimum
climbing space inside the antenna, providing
easy and safe access for antenna installation and
maintenance,” said Thickett. “All this, combined
with its superior HRP performance, makes RFS’s
new PHP 5S panel antenna an ideal choice for
DTV broadcasters the world over.”

ClearFill goes ‘online’
in Channel Tunnel link
ClearFill Line has been deployed at the UK end of the Channel Tunnel
Rail Link, forming a key element of the wireless communications
system for the high-speed rail upgrade.
Courtesy of the new Channel Tunnel rail link upgrade, trains
can now travel at 230km/h (143mph) from England’s coast
right through to London.
ClearFill Line, part of Radio Frequency Systems’
innovative suite of end-to-end Wireless INdoor
Solutions (WINS), has been successfully installed
in the stage two development of the UK end of
the Channel Tunnel Rail Link (CTRL Section 2).
RFS RADIAFLEX radiating cables, CELLFLEX
coaxial feeder cables and accessories form a
key component of the wireless communications
system for the high-speed rail upgrade.
The new link runs between the centre of
London and Southfleet Junction, approximately
40km (25 miles) to the south-east. Courtesy of
the upgrade, trains can now travel at 230km/h
(143mph) from Folkstone, on England’s coast,
right through to London’s St Pancras station.
The entire journey from Paris to London now
takes only two hours and 15 minutes.
The RFS ClearFill Line solution was selected
by infrastructure specialist Thales UK, the
company with responsibility for the entire
communications system of CTRL Section 2.
Senior Principal Design Engineer with Thales
UK, Kevin Moxsom, says that the low longitudinal
and coupling losses of RFS’s RADIAFLEX
radiating cable—an important element of the
ClearFill suite—was a key consideration.
“The proven performance of RFS was equally
important. They were responsive and completed
every thing as required,” he says. “We were also
impressed that the heavy-duty radiating cable
clamp from RFS had been manufactured and tested
to withstand the forces generated by a train passing
in the tunnel at 250km/h (155mph). This was a clear
advantage for the high-speed rail link.”
Tailored for tunnel
According to Moxsom, the GSM-R system will
The new link includes three tunnels with a ultimately replace the CSR and also the trackside
combined length of 21km (12.9 miles). The RFS signalling. All signal and control information will
RADIAFLEX radiating cable was installed in close be transmitted directly to the locomotive, and
proximity to the tunnels’ high-voltage catenary the familiar sight of railway signals alongside the
cables. To prevent power surges in the communications
cables, RFS’s ‘DC blocks’—which
track will be a thing of the past.
protect both the inner and outer conductors Reliability and redundancy
—were installed every 500 metres (1640 feet). In such systems, a fail-safe mechanism
According to RFS Regional Sales Manager, Ian stops the train if the GSM-R communications
are lost for more than three
Finch, logistics played a key role in the project.
“For a project of this nature, it was important seconds. For built-in system redundancy,
to supply the cable drums progressively, rather every component of the CTRL Section 2
than all at once,” he says. “The sophisticated communications system has been duplicated.
The RFS RADIAFLEX cable was manufacturing and logistics systems at RFS
the
WIRELESS INDOOR SOLUTIONS
enabled delivery in 3km (1.9 miles) batches.”
An important system requirement was to
concurrently support all four tunnel communications
systems. At the heart of the system
is the 900MHz Global System for Mobile
Communications-Railway (GSM-R). Emergency
services use a separate terrestrial trunked
radio (TETRA) system operating at 380MHz,
with the London Fire Brigade operating an
additional 462MHz system. Communications
to the locomotive is presently via cab-secure
radio (CSR) operating at 448MHz.
only exception, as in single-cable format it
exceeded the ‘mean-time-between-failure’
(MTBF) reliability specifications.
This was achieved, not only because of the
quality of the cable, but also by careful system
design: the dual-redundant communications
signals are fed simultaneously into the cable,
from opposite ends of the tunnel. In the event
of accidental cable damage, communications
can continue on both sides of the break.
The emerging use of GSM-R for train control
in CTRL Section 2 and other links opens the
way for harmonized communications
systems throughout
the entire pan-European rail
network. GSM-R is also gaining
acceptance elsewhere, with plans
RFS used a heavy-duty radiating cable clamp, manufactured
for its implementation in India,
and tested to withstand the forces generated
China, the USA and Australia.
by a train passing in the tunnel at 250km/h (155mph).
This standard—coupled with
premium infrastructure such as
the ClearFill solution set—stands ready for
The new link includes three tunnels with a combined length a key role in enabling trains to move freely
of 21km (12.9 miles), and features RFS RADIAFLEX radiating across national borders and continents
cables, CELLFLEX coaxial feeder cables and accessories. around the world.
7

CELLFLEX Lite across the globe
The world’s first corrugated aluminum transmission line, CELLFLEX Lite,
is proving valuable all over the world. Its premium performance, coupled
with lightweight construction, make CELLFLEX Lite a preferred transmission
solution for fast-track network roll-out.
CELLFLEX Lite is the world’s first corrugated
aluminum transmission line. A foam-dielectric
corrugated coaxial cable with an aluminum outer
conductor and a copper inner, it is available in
both 7/8- and 1-5/8-inch sizes.
Offering an alternative price point and
performance combination for establishing the
base station-to-antenna RF link, CELLFLEX Lite
represents an important development in transmission
line technology. Its robust construction
and advanced electrical performance herald
CELLFLEX Lite as the next generation in RF
transmission development. With the 7/8- and
1-5/8-inch variants weighing only 330g/m
(3.5oz/ft), and 950g/m (10.2oz/ft) respectively,
CELLFLEX Lite is one of the lightest RF
transmission cable on the market today.
Complementing RFS’s CELLFELX
transmission line family is the OMNI
FIT connector series.
Offered in
7/8-inch and 1-5/8-inch diameter
size, OMNI FIT is a unique
connector technology which is
electrically compatible with
the entire RFS CELLFLEX
transmission line series
—both aluminum and
copper variants.
8
UK banks on CELLFLEX Lite approvals
CELLFLEX Lite
has proven its value in
a critical wireless communications
project in London’s financial
district. The deployment of CELLFLEX Lite
in the UK banking project confirms its place
as the clear choice for applications where
light weight, electrical performance and costeffectiveness
are key criteria.
The cable forms a key component of a 13-site
trunked radio network, installed by communi-
cations specialist TES Limited. At each site, the
CELLFLEX Lite cable was hauled up the building’s
riser—up to 10 floors—to link the building’s radio
equipment with antennas located in the basement
and on the rooftop. The antennas are used to
distribute the radio signals within each building.
According to TES Limited Projects Manager,
Andrew Jones, the light weight of CELLFLEX Lite
was of paramount importance. “Conventional
copper cables require several people to haul them
through the riser, but the 7/8-inch CELLFLEX Lite
cable was easily managed by just two people.
This made the installation process easier, quicker
and less costly,” he said.
As an early adopter of the lightweight cable
technology, Jones was well aware of the weight
advantages of the aluminum-based cable. “We
also needed to be 100 percent confident in
the electrical performance of the new cable,”
he said. “With RFS, this is never an issue. We
always know that the published specifications
from RFS can be relied upon—it is one of their
great strengths,” he said.
Vendor service, cost-effectiveness and delivery
performance were all critical to the success of
the project and to TES Limited. “The level of
service from RFS was noticeably different. The
CELLFLEX Lite cable was delivered to all sites on
time and pre-cut to the correct length. The RFS
OMNI FIT connector was new to TES Limited, so
RFS provided training for the installation teams.
RFS showed great flexibility in meeting all of our
needs, including the removal of cable drums and
left over material,” said Jones.
The smooth installation of the CELLFLEX Lite
feeder cable enabled rapid introduction of the
trunked radio services, which carry voice, text
and data traffic over three UHF channels. The
three channels—two audio and one control—
operate between 450 and 470MHz. Each
building is linked via an internet protocol (IP)
network, allowing vital security information to
be shared within and across the sites.
For a project of such fundamental importance,
TES Limited required a top-performing supplier
and leading-edge technology. “The light weight
and electrical performance of RFS’s CELLFLEX
Lite were ideal for this project,” said Jones.
“These attributes, coupled with outstanding
flexibility and support from RFS, ensured a
straightforward roll-out. The service from RFS
was in a class of its own.”

Asia sees the ‘Lite’
Many parts of Asia are currently
experiencing extreme growth. Asia’s
industries are flourishing and its urban
centers are expanding at a relentless
rate, attracting increasing levels of local
and international investment. Nowhere
is this more evident than the local
communications arena, which
is seeing the rapid roll-out
of communications infrastructure—much
of it wireless.
As a result, local carriers
and network providers
are seeking cost-effective
high-performance RF
solutions to help fast-track
the deployment of reliable
wireless networks.
From a transmission line perspective, the northern
Asia-Pacific region is one of the most competitive
in the world. The region is home to numerous
transmission line manufacturers, which has
created a situation where supply greatly
outweighs demand. This, coupled with the
rising global copper price, has dictated that
RF solution providers develop innovative costeffective
RF solutions. Here, RFS leads the way
with the development of CELLFLEX Lite.
According to RFS Area Product Manager, Zhu
Du-qing, CELLFLEX Lite offers an alternative
price-point and performance combination for
establishing the base station to antenna RF link. “It
is this combination of technical performance and
cost-effectiveness that is making CELLFLEX
Lite so attractive to network operators in the
region,” he said. “Now, more than ever, local
carriers are looking for alternative ways of
delivering quality mobile services and coverage
to both urban and rural users.”
Since its introduction to the global market in
2006, CELLFLEX Lite has been deployed across
many indoor and outdoor wireless networks
in Asia. “RFS has supplied several thousand
of kilometers of CELLFLEX Lite to some of
Asia’s biggest wireless system houses and
carriers,” said Zhu. “Initially, it was a challenge
to demonstrate to our customers’ engineers,
that our aluminum transmission line meets,
or even surpasses, their electrical performance
criteria. With CELLFLEX Lite this has been
straighforward—its electrical performance
is superior to some competing copper
transmission cables. CELLFLEX Lite also retains
the superior mechanical properties of RFS’s
renowned copper CELLFLEX cable series. ”
With the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, fast
approaching, local carriers are under pressure to
quickly equip new indoor and outdoor facilities
and infrastructure with wireless connectivity.
“CELLFLEX Lite offers a lightweight solution
to assist this rapid roll-out of wireless network
infrastructure,” Zhu explained. “CELLFLEX Lite
goes some way to streamlining this deployment
process. It is the lightest RF transmission cable
on the market today, making it incredibly easy
to transport, handle and install.”
CELLFLEX Lite: Proven in Paraguay
COVER STORY
9
CELLFLEX Lite has been selected for a strategic
mobile network deployment in Paraguay. RFS’s
aluminum transmission line will provide the critical
base station-to-antenna link in the global system
for mobile communications (GSM) network
expansion and third-generation (3G) deployment
of one of Paraguay’s leading wireless operator,
Núcleo. With network deployment in the region
moving forward at a rapid rate, reliable and easyto-deploy
RF technologies—such as CELLFLEX
Lite—present the ideal solution.
When Núcleo embarked on the fast-track design
and deployment of its GSM network expansion
and 3G network deployment, the company
issued a request for cost-effective RF solutions
that did not compromise network performance
—CELLFLEX Lite was the obvious choice. In fact,
Radio Frequency Systems supplied Núcleo with a
complete ‘Lite’ transmission line solution—cable,
jumpers and connectors. RFS’s supply scope
included 80 kilometers (50 miles) of CELLFLEX
Lite, as well as associated jumper cables and RFS’s
OMNI FIT connectors.
Before making its selection, Núcleo stipulated that
the CELLFLEX Lite fulfill its rigorous acceptance
test. Subjected to the rigors of everyday wireless
network operation, CELLFLEX Lite passed with
flying colors, displaying first-class attenuation,
return-loss and intermodulation performance.
According to RFS Sales Director, Ricardo Paganini,
Núcleo’s approval of CELLFLEX Lite is testament
to the cable’s reliability and performance.
“CELLFLEX Lite complied with Núcleo’s stringent
electrical performance criteria,” he said. “In fact,
the electrical performance of CELLFLEX Lite is
comparable to most copper transmission cables
offered on the market.”
Once approved, RFS was faced with the challenge
of meeting Núcleo’s tight delivery timeline of four
weeks. “We had the CELLFLEX Lite and accessories
ready in less than three weeks,” said Paganini.
“Our manufacturing facility in Brazil was able to
have the cable manufactured in
record time.”
RFS’s ability to provide Núcleo
with the complete transmission
line solution
was a significant
factor in RFS
winning this
important
contract.
“The OMNI FIT connector series is electrically
compatible with both copper and aluminum
transmission line, and its robust construction
ensures the integrity of the transmission line/
connector contact point,” said Paganini. “When
paired with the lightweight CELLFLEX Lite
transmission line, the OMNI FIT connector
fast-tracks installation, and assists network
providers in the cost-efficient rapid roll-out of
wireless network infrastructure.”
Paganini said the network expansion by Núcleo
is widely regarded as a significant milestone.
“Núcleo’s use of CELLFLEX Lite is just the
beginning,” he said. “CELLFLEX Lite is rapidly
emerging as the transmission line
of choice for new projects.”

Wireless Vietnam on the move
Propelled by an influx of foreign investment, and strong economic and geographic drivers for wireless adoption,
Vietnam’s wireless communications sector is growing at a phenomenal rate—growth supported by RFS’s suite of
tailored RF solutions.
Vietnam’s GSM services were dominated by
two operators run by the Vietnam Post and
Telecommunications Group (VNPT): Vinaphone,
and Mobifone. However, in the past few years,
expansive infrastructure development programs,
undertaken by the Ministry of Defense-run
Viettel, has seen the company emerge as leader
with respect to base station numbers.
Recent price drops by Vietnam’s GSM operators
have generated the fiercest competition yet.
Amid this activity, a new operator, GTel, has
Fuelled by a unique demographic, geographic
foreign investment pouring into the country.
been granted a GSM license, and will begin
and economic mix, Vietnam’s wireless communi-
The resultant ‘opening-up’ of the Vietnam’s
wireless rollouts later this year. A joint venture
cations sector is experiencing explosive growth.
wireless sector has had a profound effect on
between the government and Russian giant
Similar to nearby nations, India and China,
competitiveness in the marketplace, and accel-
VimpelCom, GTel exemplifies the influx of
Vietnam’s fixed telephone line penetration is
erated the improvement of wireless services
foreign capital into the sector.
low. Less than five percent of the population has
across the country.
The CDMA market in Vietnam consists of more
access to fixed-line services. With a staggering
Symbolic of the wireless industry’s rise, Vietnam’s
focused networks and infrastructure invest-
65 percent of the population under the age of
first communications satellite, Vinasat 1, was
ments. With one CDMA operator—Hanoi
10
30, it’s not surprising that Vietnam has already
experienced a mobile boom. This ‘young’
country is growing up with a wireless commu-
sent into orbit in April 2008, extending the reach
of wireless services to the remotest areas of the
country. The launch was timely, coinciding with
Telecom—in the process of switching over to
GSM, there will be more breathing room for
other CDMA carriers, like EVN Telecom. The
nications culture right from the start.
efforts by government and major operators to
potential for delivering wireless broadband
Vietnam’s accession to the World Trade
rapidly drive wireless coverage throughout the
internet services is important to CDMA in
Organization (WTO) in January 2007 has
vastly populated regional areas of the country.
Vietnam, with the remaining carriers expected
catalyzed this growth, with joint-venture
Vietnam’s ‘rural majority’ demographic is
to launch wireless internet services in 2008.
powering the deployment of wireless infra-
Vietnam’s surging wireless network infra-
structure, which is notoriously faster to roll-out
structure growth has seen network operators
than fixed-line services. Wireless technologies,
faced with an increasing range of operational and
such as WiMAX [Worldwide Interoperability for
deployment challenges. Issues of interference,
Microwave Access], offer the Vietnamese a new
siting, and infrastructure sharing are demanding
broadband coverage option, and the option to
greater attention, with operators searching-out
forego, or ‘leap-frog’, the rollout of fixed-line
sophisticated RF solutions. Here, RFS is playing
infrastructure.
a leading role. RFS’s expertise in RF filtering and
“It’s important to appreciate that there is only
broadband antenna technology has seen the
a small proportion of the total Vietnamese
company’s reputation as technology supplier
population living in the cities,” said Fred Rees,
and solutions provider escalate, as operator and
Vice President, Sales and Marketing for RFS Asia
network density grow. This, coupled with RFS’s
Pacific. “With the majority of people living in
global experience in providing fully engineered
rural areas, it is mobile phone take-up that is
tailored RF solutions, is making the company the
driving growth. It’s a huge market that is moving
first choice many of Vietnam’s wireless commu-
ahead quickly.”
nications providers.
Vietnam’s telecom charge
License to grow
Vietnam’s wireless landscape is comprised
While billions continue to be poured into the
of several significant second-generation (2G)
rollout of 2G networks, 2008/2009 will see
Global System for Mobile Communications
significant steps towards establishing 3G
(GSM) providers, and Code Division Multiple
services in Vietnam. The government intends to
Access (CDMA) networks. Until recently,
award four 3G licenses in 2008, with applica-

Lao Cai
Hanoi Hong Gai
Haiphong
tions accepted from the
country’s existing stable of
licensed 2G operators. Given
that Mobifone, Vinaphone and
Vinh
Viettel are widely expected to be
awarded licenses, there promises to
be an interesting contest for the fourth
license. The entrance of new player, GTel,
into the GSM market, is well timed for the new
operator to hit 3G running.
In developing its own 3G licensing model, the
Vietnamese government has drawn on the
experience of overseas 3G licensing processes,
releasing hundreds of license criteria to operators
in April, 2008. With applications submitted, and
successful applicants expected to be announced
later this year, the stage is set for the next act in
Vietnam’s wireless development.
While 3G will usher in a raft of new communications
functionality and subscriber growth, this
will be initially limited to the small proportion
of the population in the urban centers. As a
result, demand for 3G functionality is in its
early stages. Nevertheless, Vietnam’s
huge demographic of a young,
Hue
Da Nang
Quy Nhon
Vietnam
Nha Trang
Cam Ranh
Ho Chi Minh City
mobile phone-loving population
will demand the latest services,
sooner rather than later.
Will WiMAX work?
It is not surprising that WiMAX is
Long Xuyen
Can Tho
good results, the expectation
that this would lead to
the selection of several operators
to offer fixed wireless services didn’t
tipped to produce ‘big things’ in
Vietnam. The potential to provide
fixed wireless and internet services to the vast
rural population of Vietnam holds enormous
promise for the success of WiMAX. With
Vietnam’s enormous rural population, coupled
with the minimal fixed services to these areas, it
can be argued that Vietnam needs WiMAX.
“The lack of fixed infrastructure for Digital
eventuate. This was due, in-part, to the
relatively high-cost of WiMAX devices. Aided by
WTO obligations, and a leap in retail competitiveness
in the handset market in Vietnam, this
cost issue will be reduced. 2008 has already seen
a fresh round of mobile WiMAX trials commissioned
by the government, and the outlook
for WiMAX’s mobile incarnation in Vietnam
remains positive.
Subscriber Line (DSL) means the ability to deliver
Internet to regional areas will be a huge driving
force for WiMAX,” said Rees. “Its success may
depend on who rolls it out. If it’s pushed by
the ‘big three’ it will almost certainly succeed.
Providing Internet services to the population is
a huge market.”
In 2006, a first round of WiMAX trials were
carried out by several service providers. Despite
A fast-track future
Along with the drive to deliver mobile services
throughout the country, Vietnam has also
continued to push the expansion of its national
UHF analog television services, Vietnam Television
(VTV), and the national FM radio network, the
Voice of Vietnam (VOV). RFS has been heavily
involved in supporting these upgrades. “RFS
has had ongoing involvement with broadcast
projects in Vietnam, building a reputation as a
broadcast expert within the region,” said Rees.
“We were involved in the 2007 upgrade of the
VTV 2 and 3 services and continue to play a role
in this project.”
The first tender for digital TV rollout
has also been given the go-ahead for
later in the
year. “There’s
an enormous
amount of work
to be done, with
a number of VTV
regions releasing
tenders and
expanding their
networks,” said
Rees. “It’s easy
to assume that
analog is dead, and everybody is going to
digital, however there is a huge amount of
analog network expansion going on in the
Vietnamese market. Yes, Vietnam is moving to
REGIONAL FOCUS
digital, but right now there is still a significant
amount of analog network expansion in the
broadcast sector.”
The wireless communications sector in Vietnam,
as with much of the country, is on the cusp of
significant change. “The whole landscape is
changing, in terms of who is coming into the
Vietnamese communications market,” said
Rees. “Until recently, the telecom industry was
a fairly closed environment, but that is no longer
the case. The immediately noticeable thing is
that it has become a much more competitive
environment.”
The move of 3G from the horizon to a
tangible reality is only months away. As full
foreign ownership opportunities move closer,
the country is seeing stunning fast-paced
expansion, as operators reach out to the
nation’s more remote wireless users. With a
new round of WiMAX trials underway, falling
handset prices, and sustained growth of
television and radio coverage throughout the
country, Vietnam’s wireless sector is on the
move. With the experience and commitment
to the support this growth, RFS solutions will
be moving with it.
11

The world of WiMAX
WiMAX promises much to a wide range of mainstream and niche wireless
sector players. It also presents some significant challenges from an RF and
network planning perspective.
WiMAX (worldwide interoperability for
microwave access) is a strongly standards-based
broadband wireless technology that is predicted
to satisfy a wide range of wireless communications
applications. Policed by the industry body,
the WiMAX Forum, the WiMAX standard is
offered in two variants: one for fixed/portable
applications (the IEEE 802.6d ‘fixed/portable
WiMAX’) and the other for mobile (the IEEE
802.16e ‘mobile WiMAX’).
Theoretically, the IEEE 802.16 can realize data
throughput rates as high as 72Mbps with cell
sizes as broad as 50km (30 miles). In practicality,
the standard has demonstrated data
throughputs of 40Mbps in the fixed/portable
variant, for cells ranging in size from three to
10km (2 to 6 miles), and 15Mbps in cells up to
3km (2 miles) in size with ‘mobile WiMAX’.
The ‘WIMAX mobile’ standard also supports
multiple-input/multiple-output (MIMO) antenna
signal processing. Such MIMO base station/
handset architectures will push spectral
efficiency, throughput and quality of service into
an entirely new performance domain.
WiMAX profiles support both frequency-division
duplex (FDD) and time-division duplex (TDD)
implementations, although it is believed that—in
a data-centric market—TDD will dominate. TDD
brings spectral convenience in that it is more
spectrally efficient for the ‘bursty’ asymmetric
nature of data services.
From a bandwidth and spectrum allocation
perspective, WiMAX is particularly flexible.
There is no uniform global license spectrum
for WiMAX; it is broadly defined across an
expanse of spectrum that spans 2 to 6GHz
The flexibility challenge
Ironically, the inherent flexibility of the
WIMAX platform that is so attractive to
carriers and spectrum regulators, presents
serious challenges to technology developers.
The absence of a single dominant WiMAX
licensed spectrum and channel bandwidth
thwarts the economy-of-scale advantages
typically enjoyed by global technologies, and
slows development. This impacts on all fronts:
base station technologies, handsets and RF/
tower-top systems.
Further WiMAX challenges stem from its
elevated frequency allocations. These present
RF technology groups with link-budget
problems and reduced cell sizes, while base
station OEMs face significant challenges in
developing the higher powers required in the
12
WIRELESS INFRASTRUCTURE SOLUTIONS
While such performance might imply that WiMAX
could go head-to-head with 3G cell-based
technologies such as universal mobile telecommunications
system (UMTS) and code division multiple
access (CDMA) 2000, market analysts suggest
that WiMAX will find its greatest application as a
‘cable- and digital subscriber line (DSL)-alternative’
for fixed/portable broadband data applications.
The strongest business case currently for WiMAX
will see it deployed in localized hot-spots where
market demand is greatest.
Advanced technology
Perhaps WiMAX’s most distinctive characteristic
is the modulation technique on which
it is founded: orthogonal frequency division
multiple access (OFDMA). OFDMA is the key
RF air interface defined for both 3GPP longterm
evolution (LTE) and ultra mobile
broadband (UMB) 4G technologies, and for
good reason. When compared with conventional
code- or time-division modulation
systems, OFDMA provides significant
improvements in spectral efficiency, non
line-of-sight (NLOS) performance, and data
throughput.
and 10 to 66GHz, although the WiMAX
forum has published three spectrum profiles
for 2.3, 2.5 and 3.5GHz. It also allows scalable
channel bandwidths, which can range in size
from 5 to 20MHz.
WiMAX’s distinctive throughput, physical
range, data-centric nature and flexibility carve
out exciting market prospects. It offers great
potential for greenfield operators in niche
markets; it presents great opportunity for
coverage in areas previously unserviced by
traditional broadband services; and it will offer
commercial enterprises new levels of broadband
access diversity. It is for these reasons that the
technology has attracted a broad range of
industry supporters, including large and small
OEMs, chip suppliers and service providers, plus
a clutch of global software players. The latter is
most telling in a wireless market that is quickly
moving from voice to data.
At end-2007, more than 350 WiMAX trials
and deployments were underway in over 65
countries around the world. Leading adopters
were USA, Spain, Brazil and Australia—all ‘big
geography’ countries with widely distributed
populations.
power amplifiers (PAs), particularly at 3.5GHz
and above. Small cell sizes and low power
levels result in radiating-point intensive and
granular WiMAX networks.
Similarly, the complex spectrum allocations of
WiMAX, coupled with its predicted ‘hot-spot’
style deployments, will inevitably present
new and challenging co-location interference
scenarios. WiMAX filters will need to be
tailored to suit the unique frequencies, channel
bandwidths and co-location scenarios of each
region. The unpredictable and critical nature of
such co-location interference has focused the
attention of key RF technology players.
In this area, Radio Frequency Systems is
working with OEMs and carriers to develop
a range of WiMAX integrated base station
filters—classic cavity filters, ceramics and
hybrids—to meet these needs. Most particularly,
RFS is exploring the development of
a generic narrow-band filter that would
be ‘site configurable’ to suit the wide
range of prospective requirements with
both the bandwidth and centre frequency
being adjustable—a generic WiMAX filter
to meet most needs. This will provide the

dual benefits of reduced price-point (due to
economy-of-scale), plus a globally common
filter platform.
Tower-top diversity
The diverse range of prospective WiMAX carriers—
and their equally diverse business models—demands
a uniquely wide selection of tower-top solutions.
WiMAX carriers have already demonstrated a need
for conventional single-polarized sector antennas,
cross-polarized single-array sector antennas,
electrical-tilt antennas, beam-forming ‘adaptive
antenna systems’ with multiple arrays, and full
MIMO solutions. In addressing all these needs,
RFS has opted for wideband WiMAX antenna
solutions, which support the broadest range of
WiMAX bands and channels in a limited number
of models.
Tower-mount amplifiers (TMAs) specifically
designed for TDD application will also be
required. Here, RFS has developed unique
WiMAX TDD TMAs that automatically switch
between transmit and receive bursts in precise
synchronization with the base station. WiMAX
duplexers, diplexers and triplexers will, no doubt,
be added to this mix.
The transmission line solution applied in
WiMAX’s link-budget-demanding spectrum
must be low-loss and broadband. While premium
attenuation coaxial transmission line solutions
address these needs, other solutions—such as
‘fiber-to-the-tower-top’ (remote radio head
(RRH)) technologies—are also being explored.
RRH architectures centrally house the base-band
radio equipment in so-called ‘hotels’, which
are connected via fiber links of up to 15km
(9.5 miles) to the non base-band RRH radio
components located at the base of the tower
or the tower-top.
The RRH approach makes great sense in the
WiMAX domain. The reduced line losses and
at-tower amplification support WiMAX’s
inherent PA power limitations, while the
‘hotel-and-fiber’ approach streamlines
network deployment, particularly given the
granular nature of WiMAX site mapping.
MIMO and the future
The attraction of MIMO solutions in the
WiMAX domain are tempered somewhat by
its non-standard band and channel allocations.
Currently, WiMAX MIMO antenna
solutions are tailored to suit—in essence, the
OEM’s MIMO signal processing design and the
WIRELESS INFRASTRUCTURE SOLUTIONS
13
MIMO antenna solution are ‘tuned’ together
as a matched pair. RFS is currently working to
obviate this problem, by developing a crosspolarized
‘generic’ MIMO antenna solution—an
open-interface MIMO antenna solution that
will suit multiple OEMs and a wide range of
spectrum allocations. The ‘off-the-shelf’ nature
of this solution will provide enormous pricepoint
advantages, plus faster site deployment
cycle times.
The ultimate evolutionary goal for WiMAX is to
realize the International Telecommunications
Union’s 4G ‘Next Generation Mobile Network’
objectives—100Mbps mobile and 1Gbps
fixed/portable throughput. Here, much effort
is being focused on beam-forming, MIMO
and ‘smart antenna’ solutions, coupled with
advanced signal processing algorithms. This is
a clear indicator of the importance of the RF
interface in the WiMAX realm. Perhaps more
than any platform before it, RF technology will
play a pivotal role in the commercial success
and evolution of WiMAX.

The design team reconfigured the entire Kilsyth site to
ensure optimized work flow at all stages of production.
Built for broadcast
Brand-new purpose-built broadcast equipment facilities in Australia and the UK have cemented RFS as a leader in the
global broadcast sector. Fitted out with the latest in design, manufacturing and testing technology, the new facilities
provide industry with premium access to RFS’s extensive portfolio of broadcast solutions.
In recent years, however, the successful
Kemel says that maintaining full production
implementation of this strategy has applied
during the construction phase was a critical
pressure to RFS’s broadcast group to expand its
requirement. Building contractors were
operations—both at its Australian headquarters
aware that RFS’s manufacturing deadlines
and globally. In response, the initial step was to
took higher priority. “If an antenna had to
re-develop and expand RFS’s broadcast design
be tested, for example, construction in that
and manufacturing headquarters.
area would be halted until the testing was
14
BROADCAST
Designing ’down under’
According to RFS President Broadcasting,
completed,” he says. “This added to the
complexity of the project, but the reasons for
this approach were well-understood.”
Towers and Defense, Martyn Kemel, a central
The new Kilsyth facility incorporates a number
New facilities on opposite sides of the globe
aim during the design-phase of the Kilsyth
of innovative developments to minimize its
have confirmed Radio Frequency Systems’
upgrade was to ensure optimized work flow at
environmental footprint. Internal walls are
status as a pace-setter in the broadcast
all stages of production. Rather than arranging
insulated to maintain ambient temperature
industry. A new purpose-built manufacturing
the manufacturing activities around existing
and reduce noise levels, and modern skylights
center at RFS’s broadcast headquarters in
infrastructure, the design team reconfigured
enhance natural light and reduce energy
Kilsyth, in Melbourne Australia, became fully
the entire site to suit the ideal flow of work in
usage. Processes that require water employ
operational in January, 2008. Meanwhile, at
a broadcast design and manufacturing facility.
recycling systems, and hot water is provided
Haddenham, 125km (78 miles) from London
Ease of communications across the site was
by solar heating. Instead of being wasted, heat
in the UK, RFS has constructed an antenna
equally important. At the new Kilsyth facility,
from air compressors is diverted to the paint
assembly facility and test range, closely
design engineers are deliberately located close
drying area. Such innovations have earned the
modeled on the larger, 10,000 square meter
to the manufacturing area, to foster constant
new RFS Australia facility local awards for its
Kilsyth site.
interaction and exchange of ideas.
contribution to improved sustainability.
These cutting-edge facilities have opened at
“We sought input from the entire workforce
a time of growth and change in the global
to optimize the design of the new facilities,”
broadcast industry, initiated by the rapid intro-
says Kemel. “Through a system of project
duction of digital services. Alternative delivery
consultations, everyone had a chance to
models, convergence of technologies, and
put their views forward and ensure that any
the prospect of mobile TV are fueling further
production requirements could be addressed.
advances. In this fast-moving environment, RFS
This process led to the original plans being
has undertaken innovative broadcast projects
changed and improved. From the streamlined
across all parts of the globe—from Vietnam and
cleaning and painting areas, to the specially-
Indonesia to Brazil and the UK. Such an extensive
designed cranes, efficiency and safety have
geographic reach reflects RFS’s determination
been designed into every stage of the manufac-
to provide customized broadcast engineering
turing process. The result is a purpose-built
solutions, backed by advanced technology and
environment, ideal for manufacturing our
The Kilsyth and Haddenham facilities are fitted out with the
premium support, regardless of location.
entire range of broadcast solutions.”
latest in design, manufacturing and testing technology.

Digital Britain
In Europe, RFS’s heavy involvement in the
digital switchover (DSO) program in the UK
inspired the decision to expand operations
in the region. A strong local presence would
simplify participation in a project requiring
the upgrade of some 1,150 sites across the
country. Existing RFS premises at Haddenham
afforded an ideal site for the establishment
of a broadcast antenna assembly facility and
test range.
The design principles of the Haddenham facility
were identical to those at Kilsyth. Attention to
safety, streamlined workflow and communications
were paramount. Opened in April 2008,
the new assembly and test facility also serves
as RFS’s Europe, Middle East, Africa and India
(EMAI) distribution center for switch-frames,
combiners, and monitoring systems.
As well as upgrading its facilities at Haddenham,
RFS has strengthened its UK-based team of
the UK. “Local assembly and
testing is reducing lead times,
and importantly, the strengthening
of the engineering group
boosts support in Europe and the
wider region,” says Vines. “With
the opening of the Haddenham
facility, and completion in April of
RFS’s first UK-assembled 144-panel
antenna, RFS has embarked on a
new era in serving the region’s
broadcast industry.”
The close ties between the two
new broadcast facilities in the UK
and Australia have enabled RFS to
provide new levels of engineering
service and logistical support to
broadcasters in both hemispheres.
Whether taking delivery of a single
antenna array, or a fully-engineered
broadcast solution, broadcasters and
transmission service providers have
access to quicker turnaround times,
enhanced delivery profiles, and
optimized tracking and reporting
processes.
“RFS takes the approach of working closely
with broadcast network operators,” says
Kemel. “It is important to have resources
readily available. This proximity also
allows us to better understand the
requirements of local broadcasters. With
two state-of-the art broadcast facilities
providing complementary services
from opposite sides of the globe, this
latest expansion means access to RFS’s
extensive portfolio of broadcast solutions
is never far away.”
Guests toured RFS’s new UK-based broadcast antenna
assembly facility and test range at the Haddenham site’s
official open day.
BROADCAST
15
broadcast specialists. In conjunction with the
RFS broadcast technical sales and support
center at nearby Warwick, this team is able
to provide unsurpassed support to clients,
not only in Europe, but also across the entire
EMAI region.
According to RFS UK Managing Director, Brian
Vines, the local RFS engineers worked closely
with broadcast experts from RFS Australia
throughout the upgrade process. “Following
a successful period of technology transfer,
we have now developed a strong engineering
team here in the UK, with detailed knowledge
of the entire broadcast RF chain—including
antennas, filters and combiners,” he says.
“Thanks to the expertise we have acquired,
the RFS UK team not only assembles and tests
antennas, but can also provide value-added
services such as on-site filter or combiner
re-tuning, a common requirement when
equipment is re-deployed or upgraded.”
Global links
The Haddenham assembly and test range
facilities represent a significant step in the
development of the broadcast industry in

Radiating cable revealed
Radiating cables, or ‘leaky feeders’, are one of
the cornerstones of Wireless INdoor Solutions
(WINS)–dedicated wireless infrastructure instal led
within a building, tunnel or complex, that provides
wireless coverage where signals from outdoor
base stations cannot penetrate. Essentially
designed to ‘leak’ RF signal along the full length
of the cable, radiating cable allows precise
‘contouring’ of RF coverage in areas with unique
and/or confined geometries.
In principle, radiating cable has identical
construction to foam-dielectric transmission
line, with an inner and outer conductor in
coaxial configuration, separated by a low-loss
foam-dielectric. However, the difference is in
in curved spaces where traditional antennas
(requiring line-of-sight for coverage) are inappropriate.
They also work well in constructions with
a metal frame, or where the signal needs to be
limited to a small radius (a few meters). The
ability to tailor coverage also minimizes the risk
of co-channel interference in larger systems by
preventing overlap of coverage zones.
Since its inception in the 1970s, radiating
cable has evolved to accommodate broadband
communications that deliver advanced
functionality, high network capacity and
improved spectrum efficiency. Today’s
broadband radiating cable forms the
backbone of a vast variety of wireless indoor
communications systems; these include
commercial second and third-generation
networks, essential and emergency services
communications networks, wireless local area
networks (WLAN), worldwide interoperability for
microwave access (WiMAX), and mobile TV.
various different aperture sizes and
dimensions are typically available.
• Coupling loss: This is a measure of the signal
loss between the cable and a test receiver at
a distance of 2m (6.5ft), and is influenced by
the transmission modes that are occurring.
Generally two different physical modes
carry the electromagnetic energy from the
radiating cable into the air: the coupling
mode and the radiating mode.
• Longitudinal loss: This is a measure of
signal loss along a cable. Lower coupling
loss usually results in higher longitudinal loss
and vice versa. Both values are frequency
dependent.
• System loss: This is the sum of longitudinal
loss and coupling loss. Usually system loss
increases down the length of the cable,
but it is possible to design a cable where
the coupling loss is decreased gradually
to improve system loss performance and
increase the service length.
16 RF TECHNOLOGY 101
the inclusion of thousands of apertures (or
slots) along the length of the outer conductor
(Figure 1). These correspond to thousands of RF
Technical parameters
The most important parameters to consider
when specifying radiating cable are:
emission points, allowing the power output to be • Frequency range: The operating
rationalized along the cable length, despite a
single radio source.
In this way, distribution of the RF signal can
be tailored. Radiating cable is therefore ideal
frequency that a cable is optimized
for is dependent on the design of the
apertures in the cable’s outer conductor.
For this reason, radiating cables with
Coupling loss measurement
As stated, coupling loss is derived from the ratio
(in dB) between the signal in the cable and the
signal received by a half-wavelength dipole
antenna. Coupling loss, as well as longitudinal
attenuation of radiating cables, is measured
by the free space method according to the
International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)
standard IEC 61 196-4, Coaxial Communication
Cables Part 4: Sectional Specification for
Radiating Cables.
Figure 1: RADIAFLEX cable construction Figure 2: Test document for coupling loss measurements according to IEC 61 196-4

This measurement of the radiated signal level
difference between the environment during
Introducing RADIAFLEX
involves moving a half-wavelength dipole
factory measurement (‘free space’), and in
RFS’s foam-dielectric coaxial radiating cable,
antenna along the cable at a distance of 2m
the actual situation (such as buildings and
RADIAFLEX, is engineered to provide an
(6.5ft). The sampled values of coupling loss vary
tunnels).
optimized combination of advanced electrical
along the cable due to the superposition of signals
and mechanical performance. It is comprised
of varying phase. They also vary depending upon
Normally, the coupling loss in tunnel installa-
of an inner and outer conductor in coaxial
the spatial orientation of the half-wavelength
tions differs from the free space loss, as more
configuration, separated by a low-loss foam
dipole antenna (orthogonal, radial, or parallel).
multi-path effects occur. They depend on the
dielectric. The outer conductors are made of
According to IEC 61 196-4, coupling loss values
tunnel factors such as cross section and material.
either an overlapping copper foil (ALF, RLF,
are either spatially averaged data, or given for a
Radio Frequency Systems has been collecting
RLK, RLV, RAY models) or of seam-welded and
specific antenna orientation.
data on the effects of various profiles, at various
corrugated copper (RCF, RSF models).
frequencies for more than 40 years, and can
One of the major advantages of radiating cable
Typically, two coupling loss values are
assist in quantifying these effects (Figure 3).
is its ability to transmit and distribute broadband
specified:
These studies have led to the development of
RF. RFS categorizes its RADIAFLEX family of
• 50 percent reception probability: where
a radiating cable that exhibits graded coupling
radiating cable into groups, according to common
50 percent of all measured samples are
loss. ‘Steps’ have been introduced into the
applications for mobile telecommunication:
better than the stated figure.
coupling loss profile by means of specially
• ALF, RLF series for heavy duty wideband
• 95 percent reception probability: where
designed aperture configurations. The result
applications
95 percent of all measured samples are
is a radiating cable that features longitudinal
• RLK series for applications requiring low
better than the stated figure.
sections of decreasing coupling loss. The
coupling loss variations
purpose of this is to compensate for longitudinal
• RLV series (‘Vario’) for applications requiring
The 95 percent value, as well as the difference
loss (attenuation) and yield an almost constant
graded coupling loss and near-constant
between the two values, helps the system
system loss along the length of the cable
system loss and low amplitude variation
designer in assessing and calculating the
(Figure 4). This significantly increases the service
• RAY series for high-frequency applications
availability of the link (Figure 2).
length of the cable, since normally system loss
requiring low coupling loss variations
System loss in practical environments
As stated, system loss is the sum of longitudinal
increases with distance.
A particularly attractive feature of this principle is
the small dynamic range, which is only a fraction
• RCF series for heavy-duty applications
demanding small bending radii
• RSF series for installations in vehicles requiring
17
loss (attenuation) and coupling loss. In practical
that of ‘normal’ radiating cables. An important
sharp bending radii
environments (such as tunnels, buildings
system planning parameter, the dynamic range
The primary difference between these RADIAFLEX
and underground garages), the influence of
is limited by the performance of the active
cable series is associated with the configuration of
conducting, reflecting or ‘lossy’ surfaces has to
components. Since cable attenuation varies with
the outer conductor apertures, which determine
be considered. This is done by employing the
frequency, the compensation is only precise for
the interaction between the inner coaxial system
following two measures:
one given frequency range. However, the cable
and the external environment. This influences
• Using stand-off clamps during installation to
performs adequately at other frequencies as
all the important electrical parameters, such as
minimize the influence of lossy walls.
well, even when total compensation does not
frequency range, attenuation, coupling loss and
• Using a 10-15dB safety margin to cover the
take place.
susceptibility to environmental conditions.
Figure 3:The sum of longitudinal loss (a l ) and coupling loss (a c ) defines the system loss.
Figure 4: Example of a typical system loss measurement of an RFS Vario cable

RFS exhibits a ‘rich mix’
at CommunicAsia 2008
At the CommunicAsia 2008 exhibition in June,
Radio Frequency Systems will showcase a variety
of innovative RF technologies—a suite of solutions
that is proving essential to Asia’s rapidly evolving
wireless communications landscape.
“Wireless network rollout is at an all-time high,
right across the Asian region,” said RFS Asia
Pacific South Marketing Director, Peter Walters.
“We’re witnessing a significant increase in
wireless coverage enhancement projects in
many of Asia’s urban centers. This, coupled
with region’s insatiable demand for leadingedge
broadband wireless data solutions—and
WiMAX is a clear case-in-point—has created an
immediate need for a wide variety of uniquely
tailored RF solutions. Today, the RF infrastructure
demands of Asia’s wireless sector are as varied
as they are complex.”
Here, RFS leads the way, providing a rich mix
of RF solutions to fast-track network rollout,
achieve premium wireless coverage—indoor
and outdoor—as well as accommodating new
wireless technologies such as WiMAX.
A number of RFS’s RF solutions will be on show
at CommunicAsia 2008. To learn more of RFS’s
innovative RF solution set, visit RFS at:
CommunicAsia 2008
17 to 20 June 2008
Hall 5, stand 5H2-01
Singapore Expo,
1 Expo Drive, Singapore
MyRFS means
True online business is one step closer with the
launch of ‘myRFS’ at Radio Frequency Systems’
web site, www.RFSWorld.com. The interactive
system allows RFS and its business partners
to exchange generic and customer-specific
documents—in both directions—with just a few
simple clicks.
Regarded as the next step in the evolution of
the RFS’s ‘extranet’, myRFS is available to all
participants in the ‘RFS World’—customers,
partners, vendors, system integrators and more.
Via a secure link, registered users of myRFS can
upload and/or access a wide variety of information,
from project specifications and design
documents, to quotation material and product
designs.
According to RFS Vice President Global
Marketing and Strategy, Eric Mariette, myRFS is
not only for office-based users, but can also be
used in the field. “For example, myRFS allows
system integrators to access essential software
online, instead of providing each of their team-
18 IN TOUCH
ClearFill Line WINS
at Beijing Games
Passengers traversing the Beijing Metro to
reach the Olympic Games’ venues in August
will be among the first to use the new Beijing
Line 10 and the connecting Olympic Branch
Line. Supporting the communications system
of the two lines is ClearFill Line—part of
Radio Frequency Systems’ Wireless INdoor
Solutions (WINS) family. It provides premium
wireless coverage in the Beijing Line 10 and
Olympic Branch Line tunnels via a passive
network of radiating cable and distributed
antennas.
RFS’s RADIAFLEX radiating cable, omnidirectional
and panel antennas, CELLFLEX
foam-dielectric cable, and accessories have
been deployed along 24.7km (15.4 miles) of
Line 10, and 4km (2.5 miles) of the Olympic
Branch Line. This ClearFill Line solution
supports the metro’s terrestrial trunked radio
(TETRA) services, which operate in the 806 to
821MHz and 851 to 866MHz bands.
The TETRA system is designed to carry
emergency communications signals
throughout the entire Line 10 and Olympic
Branch Line subway network. As well as
operating within the twin tunnels and
station platform areas, the system extends
to the lines’ railway sidings, associated office
buildings, and importantly, the fast-moving
metro trains themselves.
Following a smooth installation program that
commenced in May 2007, the new Beijing
metro ClearFill Line system was commissioned
in early 2008. With passenger services
scheduled to commence in mid-2008, the
new subway is set to form a key part of the
Beijing Metro network.

online business
members with multiple CDs,” he said. “As well
as simplifying operations, this ensures that
correct and up-to-date software versions are
always on-hand. MyRFS exemplifies RFS’s quest
to uphold the highest level of customer service
and efficiency.”
The system has been trialed successfully over a
number of months, and is now fully operational.
“Whether familiar with the RFS extranet, or new
to online interaction with RFS, our customers,
suppliers and others are encouraged to ask their
RFS contacts for access to myRFS,” said RFS
Chief Information Officer and Vice President IT,
John Gu. “A wealth of information is available
to share from day one.”
Take the ClearFill Space1
VirtualTour
Radio Frequency Systems has produced
a clear, concise and straightforward
introduction to its innovative
ClearFill Space1 Wireless
INdoor Solutions (WINS)
—the ‘ClearFill Space1
VirtualTour’ DVD.
Designed to provide
a quick and highlyvisual
overview of
RFS’s innovative
WINS solution-set,
the DVD can be
obtained by following
the links at RFS’s web
site, www.RFSWorld.com.
The ClearFill Space1 VirtualTour
is the first in a series of DVDs that
present RFS’s comprehensive portfolio
of RF solutions in an interactive format. The
DVD graphically depicts the challenge of
providing indoor wireless coverage.
Using real-life examples, it then
demonstrates how the
plug-and-play flexibility
RFS’s ClearFill Space1
—an innovative
hybrid passive/active
WINS solution—can
solve the issues. The
illustrative overview is
supported by product
data sheets that provide
in-depth technical detail
—all packaged on a single
DVD.
IN TOUCH 19
DSO comes to Neunkirchen
In support of Germany’s digital TV (DTV)
switch-over (DSO), Radio Frequency Systems
has designed, installed and commissioned
a broadband panel antenna system for the
German city of Neunkirchen. On-air now, the
RFS broadcast system is a key component of
a complete six-channel DTV solution provided
by leading German radio and television broadcaster,
Saarländischer Rundfunk (Saarland
Broadcasting). Located in the country’s southwestern
state of Saarland, the terrestrial
broadcast system provides DTV coverage to
metropolitan Neunkirchen and beyond.
RFS leveraged its extensive global experience
in broadband DTV solutions, to provide a fully
engineered broadcast RF system, tailored to
the local broadcast environment and weather
conditions. The customized digital broadcast
solution was brought online in record time.
“Due to the extremely cold temperatures
in the Saarland region, the antenna array
support column had to be manufactured
from a carbon-steel alloy rated to -40 degrees
Celsius,” said Hans-Peter Quade, RFS Area
Product Manager for Broadcast and Defense
Systems. “RFS was able to accommodate this
special design requirement without impacting
the strict delivery schedule.”
According to Quade, the new digital video
broadcasting – terrestrial (DVB-T) system
employs a range of the latest RFS technologies.
“The Neunkirchen site features a ten-level,
four-sided RFS PVP vertically polarized panel
array and a switch-frame, while the RF link
between the transmitter and the antenna is
achieved using RFS HELIFLEX coaxial transmission
line,” he said.
The Neunkirchen Broadcasting DTV broadcast
system boasts a future-proofed design that is
adaptable to changing broadcast conditions.
“The Neunkirchen digital broadcast system
can accommodate up to six channels,” said
Quade. “The RFS PVP panel array can also
be used to broadcast DVB-H [Digital Video
Broadcasting - Handheld], providing unparalleled
flexibility to both broadcasters and users.
Saarländischer Rundfunk’s new antenna system
is fully-equipped to provide mobile TV to the
residents of Saarland.”
Saarland Broadcasting’s new broadcast antenna array is
lifted into position at the Neunkirchen site.

RADIO FREQUENCY SYSTEMS
The Clear Choice ®
Please visit us at www.rfsworld.com