Remote radio head

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A remote radio head (RRH), also called a remote radio unit (RRU) in wireless networks, is a remote radio transceiver that connects to an operator radio control panel via electrical or wireless interface. When used to describe aircraft radio cockpit radio systems, the control panel is often called the radio head.

In wireless system technologies such as GSM, CDMA, UMTS, LTE, 5G NR this radio equipment is remote to baseband units^[1] such as BTS/NodeB/eNodeB/gNodeB or gNB. This equipment is used to extend the coverage of a baseband unit in challenging environments such as rural areas or tunnels. RRHs are generally connected to the baseband unit or base station which can be an x86 server^[2] on the ground near a cell tower, via a fiber optic cable using Common Public Radio Interface protocols.^[3]

RRHs have become one of the most important subsystems of today's new distributed base stations. The RRH contains RF circuitry plus analog-to-digital/digital-to-analog converters and up/down converters, and connects to, and thus drives the cell site's antenna. RRHs also have operation and management processing capabilities and a standardized optical interface to connect to the rest of the base station/baseband unit. This will be increasingly true as LTE and WiMAX are deployed. Remote radio heads make MIMO operation easier; they increase a base station's efficiency and facilitate easier physical location for gap coverage problems. RRHs will use the latest RF component technology including gallium nitride (GaN) RF power devices and envelope tracking technology within the RRH RF power amplifier (RFPA).^[4]