Wireless network cabling has changed significantly in the 4G, soon-to-be 5G, era. In the earlier generations of wireless, the most common cell site design had big, bulky base station radios at the bottom of cell towers with coaxial cables connecting the radios to the antennas at the top of the tower. But our collective demands for wireless have increased over the years. We want more coverage and greater capacity from our networks, especially for data services like streaming video. These demands have required bringing radio functions as close to the antenna as possible to reduce transmission line losses. Now, fiber optic cabling has overtaken coaxial as the preferred medium.
The Future of Wireless Is Still Wired
