Broadband Dipole Antenna with Integrated Balun for DVB-T2 and 5G Broadcast Applications

The increasing demand for high-efficiency and wideband antennas has accelerated research into novel dipole antenna architectures suitable for both Digital Video Broadcasting—Second Generation Terrestrial (DVB-T2) and Fifth-Generation (5G) broadcast systems. This study presents the design, simulation, and experimental evaluation of a broadband dipole antenna integrated with a compact balun, optimized for operation across 470 MHz–860 MHz (UHF band) for DVB-T2 services and extended up to 3.5 GHz for 5G broadcast applications. The primary objective is to achieve wide impedance bandwidth, stable radiation patterns, and enhanced gain characteristics within a compact and low-cost configuration adaptable for modern broadcast transmitters and receivers. The proposed antenna design incorporates a folded dipole structure with an integrated microstrip balun, effectively transforming the unbalanced coaxial input to a balanced radiating element without external matching networks. A substrate-integrated approach is employed using FR4 dielectric material (εr = 4.4, thickness = 1.6 mm) to maintain structural rigidity and facilitate mass production. Numerical simulations were conducted using CST Microwave Studio and verified through experimental measurements in an anechoic chamber. The reflection coefficient (S11) results indicate a broadband response with |S11| ≤ −10 dB across the 470 MHz–3.6 GHz frequency span, corresponding to a fractional bandwidth of approximately 150%. The radiation efficiency exceeds 85%, and the gain varies between 5.8 dBi and 7.2 dBi, depending on the operating band. The balun integration minimizes parasitic effects and ensures phase balance between the antenna arms, enhancing cross-polarization isolation and maintaining omnidirectional patterns in the azimuth plane. The proposed dipole exhibits minimal frequency detuning under proximity and ground-plane variations, which makes it suitable for both fixed broadcast base stations and mobile reception units. Compared to conventional broadband dipoles that rely on external baluns or complex feeding networks, this integrated configuration achieves superior impedance matching, reduced cable losses, and mechanical compactness. To ensure suitability for DVB-T2, the antenna’s performance was validated against the ETSI EN 302 755 standard, ensuring compatibility with high-throughput modulation schemes such as 256-QAM and OFDM. For 5G broadcast applications, system-level analysis confirms efficient coverage for 3GPP Release 14 eMBMS and FeMBMS frameworks, supporting hybrid terrestrial-broadcast integration. The antenna’s wideband behaviour also accommodates MIMO configurations, enabling higher data rates and robust channel diversity in next-generation broadcast networks. This work contributes a viable and scalable antenna solution that bridges traditional broadcasting and modern mobile broadband systems. By integrating a broadband dipole with a compact balun structure, the design achieves high efficiency, mechanical simplicity, and frequency agility across the DVB-T2 and 5G broadcast spectrums. Future work will explore miniaturization using metamaterial substrates and reconfigurable tuning networks to support adaptive frequency control for spectrum sharing in evolving broadcast infrastructures.