Performance and sustainability analysis of 28GHz switch technologies

The fifth generation of mobile communications (5G) is becoming more and more a reality. Industries and network operators are constantly advertising the huge benefit in terms of data rate, health monitoring, connected devices and better quality of life in general. These improvements come at a certain cost regarding power and materials consumption and environmental impact in general. However, such negative drawbacks are rarely addressed when developing new technologies. This work tries to answer the technical part by reviewing the technologies for a RF switch applications at 28GHz but also the sustainable part by considering the impact of mmWaves deployment in legislative, economic, energetic, social, environmental and materials axes. This kind of analysis gives the opportunity to take a step and see the big picture. This work is mainly divided into two parts: the benchmark of RF switch technologies in the Ka-band and the sustainability analysis. First, a review on the technical advantages and disadvantages of the 28GHz frequency band are considered. The proposed solutions and their implementation are discussed. Second, theoretical background on the switch is given along with other RF components of the front-end modules. The main parameters of the switches are also presented. Third, a review of the literature regarding different discrete technology to implement the 28GHz switch is analyzed. Integrated solutions are also considered. The work also addresses the different trade-offs which occur when designing a switch. Fourth, the sustainability analysis is conducted based on six axes: legislation, economy, society, materials, environment and energy. At the end, the impact of the facts in the previous categories are classified and reported on the triple bottom line: people, planet, prosperity. Finally, a conclusion about the workon the benchmark as well the sustainability analysis is made.