en.Wedoany.com Reported - Facing signal attenuation issues in 5G network deployment, telecom operators are increasingly relying on high-resolution satellite imagery and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technology as alternatives to traditional empirical planning. In 2021, Verizon and AT&T secured exclusive rights to specific radio frequencies in the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) C-band auction for $81 billion. This C-band spectrum, positioned between high and low frequencies, can carry high-speed data while penetrating concrete buildings for long-distance transmission. However, even with premium frequencies, outdated geographic information can render millions of dollars' worth of spectrum unable to effectively cover target areas.
Millimeter-wave signals are easily blocked by newly constructed concrete, glass curtain walls, and even overgrown trees. Taking Verizon's deployment in New York City as an example, the dense skyscrapers in the financial district naturally suppress network signals. The company used the latest high-resolution satellite imagery to build ultra-precise 3D terrain models, identifying severe blockage areas before hardware deployment, thereby strategically placing base stations in open plazas and major intersections to avoid wasted funds. Operators must rely on high-resolution satellite data reflecting the current real world to build coverage models, rather than using outdated open-source maps. Basic satellite imagery provided by municipal platforms is often years behind, unable to keep pace with rapid urban development and landscape changes. To precisely locate "white zones" requiring coverage, network planners analyze high-resolution nighttime satellite imagery to track electricity usage and nighttime lighting data as proxy indicators of human activity; simultaneously, they use the highest quality images available on the commercial market to build ultra-precise 3D digital twins of target communities, mapping signal paths around obstacles before constructing any tower.
The current high-precision approach to network planning combines daily optical photography with Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). SAR works by emitting radar waves toward the Earth and measuring reflected signals, capable of penetrating thick clouds, rain, and darkness to detect hard structures such as suddenly appearing concrete high-rises or construction cranes in real time. Standard optical cameras provide high-resolution visual images to track rapid urban changes while monitoring seasonal tree canopy growth. The fusion of these two technologies offers engineers near-real-time geographic information, transforming the ever-changing physical world into a reliable, easy-to-navigate deployment map. The telecom industry must move beyond spectrum scarcity arguments and integrate ultra-high-resolution satellite imagery into daily planning processes to gain the latest factual understanding of building footprints, physical obstacles, and true population density. As remote sensing capabilities continue to improve, network expansion is expected to shift from costly guesswork to precise science.
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