Why the antenna has become 5G Standalone’s real control plane
• In 5G SA, antenna system performance—beam efficiency, pattern stability, PIM behavior—directly governs SLA grade KPIs by determining real world SINR, uplink reliability, and slice performance beyond what software configurations can guarantee.
• Advanced antenna designs maximize spectral efficiency and carrier aggregation effectiveness, improving coverage alignment across bands and enabling deterministic throughput and latency that software layer optimizations alone cannot deliver.
Much of the conversation around 5G Standalone (SA) has focused on software. Cloud-native cores, network slicing, automation and orchestration get attention because they fundamentally change how networks are designed and operated – as they should. But there is an element hiding in plain sight that deserves more focus. In 5G Standalone, the antenna has become central to how performance is delivered, translating network intent into measurable results at the physical layer.
In earlier generations, networks were largely best-effort systems. If performance fluctuated, users adapted. In 5G Standalone, that model no longer holds. Operators are now expected to deliver predictable throughput, bounded latency and reliable uplink performance, often under formal service-level agreements (SLAs). Those guarantees may be configured in software, but they are delivered over radio links that still obey the laws of physics. The antenna is where intent meets reality.
Antenna performance defines SLAs
For operators, this changes how performance is engineered and assured. Network slicing, quality of service profiles and advanced carrier aggregation all assume that the radio layer can deliver stable signal conditions. In practice, that comes down to antenna performance – how efficiently beams are formed, how consistently signals radiate, and how well patterns hold across frequency bands. These are not abstract engineering details – they directly influence signal quality, automated allocation and whether a slice delivers the experience it was designed to provide. Our [1], for example, show that an 11 percent improvement in beam efficiency can deliver around 18 percent higher downlink and 21 percent higher uplink throughput for cell users in dense urban users in dense urban environments, underlining how antenna quality translates directly into SLA execution.
Efficiency and spectrum economics
What often gets overlooked is how much this changes the economics of spectrum. Spectrum is one of the most constrained and expensive assets operators own. Yet, two networks with identical spectrum and radios can experience different outcomes. The differentiator is how effectively antennas convert spectrum into usable, SLA capacity.
High beam efficiency, low passive intermodulation (PIM) stability, and optimized patterns mean less interference, more targeted energy, and higher average and cell-edge throughput. That effect has been validated in live networks. In a recent field trial we conducted, a macro site was upgraded on a like-for-like basis with a new generation of antennas, drive testing recorded a 6 dB improvement in coverage, alongside a 13 percent increase in downlink data traffic and a 55 percent rise in voice traffic driven by improved indoor penetration.
For operators, this means more stable, high performing and energy efficient networks. By reducing interference and improving signal quality, advanced antenna design allows networks to deliver consistent throughput and uplink reliability with less power and fewer resources. This makes it easier to sustain guaranteed services, improve user experience and operate the network more efficiently at scale.
Uplink resilience and Carrier Aggregation
The uplink makes this even more critical. While downlink performance often gets the most attention, many of the most valuable 5G use cases depend on uplink stability – from enterprise applications and fixed wireless access to industrial connectivity and mission-critical services. Because devices operate under tight power limits, the uplink is inherently more vulnerable to interference and signal loss. In this environment, antenna performance plays a decisive role in maintaining reliable connectivity.
5G Standalone also changes how carriers combine different spectrum bands. Low-band frequencies provide coverage and uplink stability, while mid-band spectrum adds capacity. For this to work in practice, coverage has to line up across bands. When antenna patterns vary between frequencies, fewer users can benefit from aggregation, limiting the real-world gains. In effect, the value of aggregation is shaped as by antenna design as by the standard itself.
A leadership agenda for CTOs
This is driving a shift in how antennas are evaluated. Traditional metrics like peak gain or beamwidth still matter, but they no longer tell the full story. In dense 5G Standalone networks, what matters is how an antenna performs at the system level – how consistently it supports signal quality, uplink reliability and the number of guaranteed services a site can sustain at the same time.
Addressing these system-level demands requires looking beyond one-dimensional specifications and evaluating antennas in the context of real network behavior. As 5G SA networks shift from delivering best-effort connectivity to deterministic performance, infrastructure choices must be assessed through that same lens.
For CTOs, this is a leadership decision. Technical leadership in 5G SA is not just about adopting the latest software architecture or deploying new spectrum bands quickly, but rather aligning intent, performance and economics across the entire stack. Antennas sit at a critical junction, helping maximize spectrum value, deliver dependable coverage and support the performance levels operators commit to in their SLAs.
In that sense, the antenna has become part of the control plane of the network – and precisely engineered, high performing and energy efficient antennas, like Ericsson’s, give operators the foundation to extract maximum value from their 5G Standalone investments. Operators that recognize this early will be better positioned to scale premium services; those who do not may find that no amount of software intelligence can fully compensate for decisions made at the physical layer.
Written By: Kevin Murphy, Vice President and Head of Customer Unit North Middle-East at Ericsson Europe, Middle East & Africa
