Smart Wireless Repeater Based on Meta-Surface for Enhancing 5G Coverage in Urban Areas

Opportunity

Reconfigurable meta-surfaces have emerged as a game-changing technology for next-generation wireless networks. Unlike traditional phased-array antennas, meta-surfaces manipulate electromagnetic waves through sub-wavelength elements to steer, focus, and reflect signals with very low power consumption. This technology aims to address the critical issue of unsatisfactory outdoor-to-indoor reception quality in 5G networks.

To tackle this challenge, a brand-new smart wireless repeater featuring power-active, high-selectivity, and low-cost characteristics has been developed. It is capable of redirecting and focusing outdoor 5G signals into buildings or basement car parks, thereby enhancing signal coverage and enabling high-quality outdoor-to-indoor 5G communications.

Global meta-surface hardware revenue was approximately US$1.2 billion in 2024 and is projected to exceed US$6 billion by 2033, with annual growth rates above 23.5%. However, commercial products remain limited. Current solutions are either passive, offering limited control over frequency and angle, or are active but bulky and energy-intensive.

There is a clear need for high-selectivity, active reconfigurable meta-surfaces that can amplify and direct specific bands or angles for demanding users, alongside passive, low-cost meta-surfaces for power-constrained scenarios. By combining active gain with high selectivity and offering a complementary passive product line, this technology can deliver differentiated value and capture multiple segments of the growing meta-surface market.

The technology provider is seeking collaborators among telcos, building owners or facility managers, and communications equipment vendors.

Technology

Reconfigurable meta-surfaces can guide electromagnetic waves to designated indoor zones by shaping their wavefronts, making them suitable for complex and infrastructure-constrained scenarios. However, traditional Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RISs) typically suffer from two key limitations: (i) signal attenuation caused by inherent losses introduced by active components and control circuitry, and (ii) broadband, low-selectivity frequency response, which leads to undesired interaction with adjacent frequencies, thereby degrading the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and reducing channel capacity.

A novel meta-surface architecture has been proposed that integrates high-selectivity frequency/angle response with signal amplification, featuring:

• Signal-amplified beam steering – Integrated Power Amplifiers (PAs) enable the RIS to redirect weak 5G signals with enhanced amplitude, compensating for losses caused by propagation and control circuitry.
• High-selectivity frequency response – High-selectivity resonators restrict the RIS’s frequency response to the target 5G band, suppressing out-of-band signals and noise, minimising interference from adjacent channels, and improving channel capacity.
• Joint frequency–direction beam control – By combining frequency reconfigurability and phase coding, the RIS achieves synchronised control over both beam direction and frequency filtering.
• Low-power, regulation-compliant deployment – With milliwatt-level power consumption (or even zero power) and a compact, surface-mounted design, the RIS system can be flexibly installed in any building.

These capabilities address a critical gap in current wireless infrastructure deployment strategies and unlock substantial engineering, societal, and commercial value. Major communication service providers, as well as households seeking to enhance communication quality, represent potential users.

Applications & Advantages

Mobile network operators (MNOs), enterprises (e.g., smart factories, warehouses), automotive radar suppliers, satellite service providers, and IoT solution integrators constitute the primary target markets. Secondary segments include defence/aerospace for stealth or conformal antennas, and healthcare for low-power connectivity.

Collaboration is planned with a competitive local exchange carrier, which has expressed interest in testing RIS panels for indoor 5G coverage. A prototype will be provided by the technology provider, demonstrating over 20 dB reflection gain and remote configurability.

Enhancing wireless signal coverage in basements is another key application scenario, particularly for enabling reliable mobile payment of parking and charging fees. In such cases, the demand for high-quality communication is especially urgent. Consequently, electric vehicle manufacturers also represent a potential user group.