Askey launches 4×4 MIMO private 5G radio

Askey has introduced the SCU5050, an outdoor 5G small cell for dedicated enterprise and industrial networks. The 3GPP Release 16 radio uses four transmit and four receive paths, with external antennas that can be selected for site coverage requirements. Manufacturing sites, warehouses, logistics facilities, and enterprise campuses are among its intended applications. Askey says the new radio is available immediately, with deployment configurations dependent on the local spectrum regime and supporting network equipment.

The SCU5050 supports time-division duplex operation in sub-6GHz spectrum, with different hardware variants rather than a single radio covering every national band assignment. The product listing specifies n48 at 3.55–3.7GHz, n77 at 3.8–4.2GHz, two n78 variants, and n79 at 4.8–4.9GHz. The listed n78 options cover 3.3–3.57GHz and 3.7–3.8GHz respectively. Regulatory certificates for the named variants are marked as pending on Askey’s current product page, making the intended country and spectrum licence part of equipment selection.

Four-by-four multiple-input, multiple-output operation allows the base station to use spatial diversity and multiple radio layers, provided terminals and propagation conditions support them. Askey specifies up to 5W transmit output per radio port and four N-type connectors for the 5G antennas, alongside a separate timing antenna connection. The antenna arrangement and radio-path configuration affect the achievable link budget, particularly where metal racking, machinery, or vehicles obstruct line-of-sight paths and change the local reflection pattern.

Radio performance also depends on the allocation of downlink and uplink transmission slots. Askey lists an illustrative configuration delivering 1,400Mbps downlink and 200Mbps uplink, while an alternative slot arrangement is specified at 660Mbps and 610Mbps respectively. The differing ratios indicate how radio resources can be assigned to applications such as operator devices, industrial cameras, and connected vehicles. Effective application throughput also depends on radio overhead, terminal capabilities, interference, and transport capacity through the rest of the network.

The SCU5050 connects to the site network through a 10Gb WAN or SFP+ backhaul interface. It supports mains input from 90V to 264V AC, with a 48V DC arrangement listed as an option, and has specified consumption below 200W. The enclosure is rated IP65 and is intended for wall or pole mounting. Its environmental limits extend from −30°C to 55°C, although antenna placement, cable routing, power protection, and earthing must still be addressed for individual installations.

Several nearby small cells operating in time-division duplex need coordinated timing so that one cell’s transmissions do not overlap a neighbouring receiver’s uplink period. Askey lists GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and IEEE 1588v2 precision time protocol among the timing options. A dedicated timing source can therefore be incorporated into the radio design alongside backhaul availability and RF planning, especially where a deployment adds coverage zones as production layouts or device populations change.

A local web interface provides configuration and maintenance functions, while Askey’s management platform supports central provisioning, performance monitoring, alarms, diagnostics, and software upgrades. The manufacturer offers cloud-hosted and on-premises management arrangements. Keeping radio telemetry accessible from a common operations system allows engineers to distinguish changes in cell load or signal quality from faults reported by a connected machine, gateway, or application, reducing the amount of troubleshooting needed at individual endpoints.

Industrial traffic rarely has uniform requirements. Low-rate condition-monitoring sensors may tolerate periodic reporting, while video streams create sustained uplink demand and mobile robots need stable service through changing propagation conditions. The specification provides the radio and interface limits needed to build a coverage plan, but those limits must be assessed together with terminal positioning, transmission schedules, and local security requirements. Even a well-positioned small cell depends on correctly integrated core-network functions and compatible industrial devices.

Askey is adding the SCU5050 to its existing small-cell portfolio as an outdoor radio access component for integrators. Its outdoor enclosure, spectrum-specific variants, and management interface give integrators a new choice when designing private 5G radio access. Network commissioning will still require authorised frequency use, 5G core integration, device onboarding, and practical tests across the operating area. The product’s detailed band and traffic settings are consequently part of the design specification from the outset.