Ubicquia, a smart city connectivity solution firm, has joined with Movandi Corporation, which makes 5G millimeter wave (mmWave) RF semiconductors, to create a mmWave smart repeater that plugs into a streetlight’s photocell socket. The unit locks onto host RAN signals automatically to ensure repeater-to-repeater connectivity without the need for fiber connectivity to the core network, and it integrates with all major RAN/Open RAN technologies, including Ericsson, Huawei, Nokia, and Samsung.
“Our collaboration with Ubicquia leverages Movandi RF semiconductor and software technologies to deliver an innovative streetlight-based 5G mmWave repeater that transforms operator economics, accelerates broad global 5G mmWave coverage, and unlocks an expanded portfolio of high-speed and low-latency services and user experiences,” Maryam Rofougaran, CEO and co-founder of Movandi said.
In a blog, Movandi notes that while small cells add capacity and are less expensive than towers, they require fiber optic connectivity that adds cost and complexity. Smart repeaters extend the mmWave coverage of both gNodeBs and small cells without the need for fiber runs, which reduces cost and deployment complexity.
Mobile Experts did an assessment of a small city requiring 950 new 5G mmWave radio base stations for full coverage and found that using 100 streetlight mounted gNBs and 850 repeaters reduces 10-year total cost of ownership by over $13 million or 35 percent and by $89 million or 80 percent compared to a gNB-only utility pole configuration.
“Streetlight mounted repeaters present an incredible opportunity to dramatically speed up deployment schedules, streamline many regulatory and installation approval steps, and save money,” said Joe Madden, Principal Analyst at Mobile Experts. “Our conclusion is that streetlight deployment is absolutely the way to go.”
The unit features Movandi’s mmWave 5G RF technology and reference design platforms including RF semiconductors, custom phase array antenna modules, algorithms and software including cloud APIs for management, control, and AI/ML data analytics, according to Movandi.
Ian Aaron, CEO of Ubicquia said, “Our goal in collaborating with Movandi and integrating our IP and work developing streetlight solutions for public WiFi, public safety and carrier small cells, is to help mobile operators not just deliver 5G mmWave services to dense urban areas but make 5G mmWave services a reality for cities of all sizes.”
By J. Sharpe Smith, Inside Towers Technology Editor
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