The deployment of 5G antennas, as has happened with 4G and 3G, will be intensive in cities. Seychelles Email List This abundance of receivers, which are installed on roofs or on the walls of buildings, sometimes causes a visual impact that deteriorates the urban environment . In order to avoid this, alternatives are being sought to design antennas that integrate elegantly with the landscape of cities.
A paper , published in the specialized magazine IEEE Wireless Communications, already warned in 2018 of the growing visual impact of antennas in urban environments. This report recalled that decades ago, the problem of antennas did not exist, since there were only AM, FM and television receivers. With the arrival of mobile phones, and especially smartphones, the landscape of cities has become increasingly populated with these receivers .That is why strategies are now needed for the coexistence of 5G and other antennas with the urban environment. This is something that the IEEE Wireless Communications paper also highlights. And they are not the only ones to do so. More and more voices are prone to concealing receivers to favor the appearance of cities.
The Wireless Infrastructure Association published a study on the role of street furniture in antenna deployment. The title alone was already a statement of intent: The Role of Street Furniture in Expanding Mobile Broadband . The document provides a detailed review of the possibilities offered by streetlights, traffic lights, bus stops and other elements that populate the streets to host 5G antennas or other types of connectivity. It is concluded that there is a great opportunity in this area to integrate receivers into urban furniture.
Looking for a Minimum Impact on the Environment
When it comes to camouflaging 5G antennas there are many possibilities. Although it is true that these are limited for several reasons. One of them is investment, because the more sophisticated the design, the higher the cost of this type of receiver. Another is the urban space itself, since obviously there is a certain concealment that is more difficult to practice in some places than in others. A park, for example, leaves fewer options than a cross street.
Ericsson has explored some possible solutions to disguise – sometimes radically hide – 5G antennas. The streetlights are one of the supports on which the company has worked. Together with Philips, it has tested the so-called ‘ small cells ‘, small boxes with network equipment that interconnect with other antennas, at the pivots of the street lights. The companies take advantage of the fact that LED technology reduces consumption significantly, to dedicate part of the electricity to the receiver.
Another of the formulas to hide the antennas is to place them in the sewers . It is an easy way to add capacity to the network in urban areas without visual impact. Ericsson has also looked towards bus stops. These already serve another purpose beyond the original, which is to provide shelter and seat to bus users. Many have electronic panels or simply advertising sheets. But now they could also house antennas on top.
Looking for a Minimum Impact on the Environment Mission: Camouflage 5G Antennas
One of the most sophisticated formulas to reduce visual impact is to create antennas that look like street furniture. This is what has been proposed by the project promoted by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Digital Transformation through Red.es, and in which Telefónica collaborates . The aim is to design and manufacture a new generation trisector antenna that passes through a chimney .
The initiative, co-financed with ERDF funds, is part of the 5G Pilot in Galicia. The antenna will have 5G connectivity but can be coupled to existing 3G and 4G receivers. The work starts from the premise of a need for adaptation of the municipalities so that the deployment of the new network has less impact on the urban landscape.
The project contemplates that the 5G antennas can be chimneys or streetlights. All in order to preserve the aesthetics of the city . In this case, costs are reduced, since the module does not need civil works for its installation. Cranes are not even needed to position the part.em into any element, from streetlights to churches or trees. mobile lead The 5GCity consortium includes on its website an initiative of the companies Ubiwhere and Accelleran, which have installed antennas in street furniture in the Portuguese city of Guimaraes. With new technology, they have used common streetlights for various purposes other than the traditional one. They will serve to host the necessary network infrastructure. But they will also host a charging point, intended for electric vehicles.
