Airgain's CTO Dr. Ali Sadri on Mobile Connectivity Trends

Wireless connectivity firm Airgain is a provider of advanced antenna technologies used to enable high performance wireless networking systems across consumer, enterprise and automotive markets. 

Dr. Ali Sadri is CTO of Airgain. He has a Ph.D in Electrical Engineering, with a minor in Business from North Carolina State University and has worked at IBM, Duke University, Wireless Gigabit Alliance and Intel Corporation, becoming CTO of Airgain in 2021. Ali has over 150 patent applications and issued patents and is now international advisor to Tokyo Institute of Technology.

Here, he tells us all about the advances and future trends in wireless connectivity, in relation to voice, data and the internet in mobile technology.

The advances and future trends in wireless connectivity

There have been many advances in wireless connectivity lately focused on improving user experience in accessing data. The latest advancement in cellular technology, mainly 5G, targets three main pillars:

• Higher speed compared to the legacy of 4G technology enabling faster downloads, seamless streaming of content and improving user experience
• Low latency communications that are critical in real-time and time-critical applications such as gaming, virtual reality and autonomous vehicles
• The increased capacity of the 5G networks allows more users simultaneously connecting to the network.

“On the advances on Voice over LTE (VoLTE), it provides high-definition voice calls with clearer and more reliable communications allowing simultaneous voice and data communications for the end users,” Ali explains. “The introduction of WiFi 6, 6E and 7, provides mobile users with enhanced reliability, faster speed and higher capacity WLAN networks.”

Airgain participates in the development and integration of solutions in both cellular and Wifi products. Its Lantern Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) product includes a high gain antenna designed for outdoor applications and provides improved and reliable wireless communications for end customers.

“I believe the market for FWA is poised for exponential growth over the next five years and it’s predicted that this technology will be the biggest disrupter in the broadband market as more networks see the impact it can have on performance, reliability and accessibility. In the next few years, it will even become more widely used in rural areas where customers are often further apart,” he says.

Antenna technology can significantly affect the performance of the wireless device and networks, for example, the use of advanced beamforming technology enables the device to focus its signal in a specific direction to improve both the received and transmit signal. 

“Airgain demonstrated the Smart Lantern technology during the 2024 Mobile World Congress event which provides significant performance improvement over the traditional omni-directional FWA entry points,” Ali continues. “This technology is game changing for the end user experience. It addresses the evolving needs of the telecom industry, it’s cost-effective and exceeds the expectations of the customer that may have become accustomed to poor 5G signals.”

MIMO (Multiple Input Multiple Output) technology is another enhancement that most devices support to enhance the performance and improve communications. It enhances both the link reliability and offers a higher throughput that effectively improves user experience. 

“This technology has also improved with the introduction of massive MIMO systems, allowing significant capacity and throughput improvement over the traditional MIMO systems,” he says. “Airgain has developed the high-performance gNB Loadstar Massive MIMO antennas for the Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) and C-band that provides up to 64T64R configuration.”

Improving network coverage and wireless connectivity

To improve the cellular performance and coverage in workspaces, households and public places, an in-building solution such as repeaters and Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) can improve signal dead zones and provide consistent coverage. 

“Airgain Lighthouse smart NCR (Network Controlled Repeater) can act as both a smart repeater in the network and Over the Air (OTA) passive DAS system providing unique opportunity for the operator to improve and enhance their coverage and significantly reduce their total cost of ownership by reducing the number of the gNBs or small cells,” says Ali. “The Lighthouse NCR operates in both Stand Alone (SA) and Non Stand Alone (NSA) networks enhancing both the public and private network coverage.”

It is also clear that enhancement in WiFi technology can provide significant improvements to local area communications such as homes, offices and public indoor areas. Airgain integrates improved antenna technologies in several tier one commercial Consumer Premises Equipments (CPEs).

Airgain’s technologies can significantly improve network coverage and wireless connectivity across workplaces, households and public spaces. Unlike traditional wired infrastructure, 5G FWA doesn’t require laying cables and therefore can be a lot more time and cost effective and flexible in its installation. 

“Consumers can download a mobile app allowing them to observe real-time signal quality and adjust the direction of the antenna to maximiSe signal strength. Using a Smart Lantern device does this automatically and can reach premises that have traditionally experienced poor-quality signals or inconsistent connectivity,” Ali continues.

Smart Lantern 5G FWA delivers gigabit internet speeds, being able to accommodate households with multiple devices for activities such as gaming and streaming, as well as large scale businesses. It provides a reliable and high-speed workplace internet in modern office environments, essential for supporting cloud-based applications, video conferencing, virtual meetings and large data transfers.

“Today’s 5G networks are built to cover larger geographical areas, making it possible for signals to reach remote or rural locations with high-speed internet,” he says. “They can also be used across various public spaces to connect surveillance, traffic management and environmental monitoring. In addition, these technologies are also being used by emergency services to help them reach and respond to those in more remote and rural areas. In this instance, 5G technology can enable emergency teams and command centres to have real-time information to increase situational awareness.”

Airgain provides an end-to-end solution, from design and architecture to integration and deployment for several of its products. Airgain’s communications products include Lighthouse NCR, Lantern FWA, Lumos FWA external antenna, Loadstar Massive MIMO antennas, AC-Fleet CPE for the automotive industry.

“Our IOT modems and asset trackers are enabling our customers with some of the most enhanced products and services to improve the experience of our customers.

The developments in FWA and smart antenna technology show how Airgain is at the forefront of wireless innovation and a leader in high-growth wireless technologies.” 

It is innovation like this that has also led it to become trusted by telecom industry leaders to help their devices excel in highly complex environments. It has simplified 5G and wireless connectivity and proven to reduce costs by removing the need for new infrastructure or professional installation. 

“Our engineering teams are dedicated to shaping the future of wireless technology by developing products and services that anticipate customer needs,” Ali summarises. “Through this process, our teams have developed expertise in key technologies that are driving wireless growth, including advanced 5G antenna solutions, Wi-fi 6E, GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), smart antennas and wireless triangulation.”

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