With small cell deployments expected to surge in the coming years, AT&T is in the process of field testing and deploying a new solution, known as the Ericsson Street Radio 4402, which can turn existing street lights into 5G sites in “as little as 15 minutes with zero footprint,” according to Gordon Mansfield, VP Mobility Access & Architecture. Prototypes of the Ericsson Street Radio 4402 were trialed last year and are now commercially available.
“One of the most significant challenges network operators face in deploying new mobile network infrastructure is the time it takes to work through the process of acquiring sites, engineering designs, and securing permits – and that’s all before construction even begins,” Mansfield wrote in a Technology Blog. Adding 5G small cell locations currently takes from 12 to 18 months on average, which he acknowledged is too slow.
The answer is to plug 5G radios into existing streetlights using smart solution provider Ubicquia and global equipment provider Ericsson. The result of the collaboration, the Ericsson Street Radio 4402, uses a National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) standardized connector and sits just above the streetlight shield next to the light to blend into the existing infrastructure.
The device, which is compatible with the 360 million street lights, plugs into a global standard photocell socket and includes a revenue-grade meter that complies with local utility regulatory requirements. Real-time GPS and integrated tilt and vibration sensors provide pole-asset data to let carriers and utilities detect failed streetlights.
On a global basis, Ubicquia offers municipalities, utilities and mobile operators an expandable platform for deploying smart city, small cell and smart grid services. Although jointly pioneered for the AT&T network, other operators will be able to use the technology in the future, further benefiting the entire industry.
By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor
Reader Interactions