We don't need no steenkin' cabinet: Ericsson hangs base stations off masts

A new design of mobile base station by Ericsson aims to do away with the traditional cabinet on the ground connected by a thick wire to an antenna on a pole.

The Ericsson Radio System puts the gubbins behind the antenna into modules, which can be swapped in and out. The aim is to save operators the cost of having to buy or rent space for cabinets. Ericsson says that it has a “zero floor footprint”, although it will need somewhere to put the mast, but site owners should be more amenable to something which is small and the new Ericsson Radio System claims to be the industry’s most energy efficient and compact radio and microwave solution, at half the size and weight.

Access to sites is a big issue for mobile operators, which often have to negotiate with landlords. Ericsson trumpets its innovative rail system, featuring one-bolt installation which fits in the tight spaces thanks to airflow innovations. The radio modules can be mounted vertically or horizontally on a rail, flat on a cable ladder or behind an antenna.

Thanks to a fivefold reduction potential in wind load, the equipment is lighter and more durable for tower deployment. The available modules include macro and small cells, antenna systems, IP transport, microwave nodes, rails and other site equipment.

The Baseband 5216, on one board, is able to handle twice as many cells as existing baseband units; supports both LTE FDD and TDD modes simultaneously; and supports up to 80,000 subscribers. All backhaul solutions are fully integrated into the Ericsson Radio System.

Ericsson claims the IP routers and an array of new additions to MINI-LINK microwave portfolio produce a 70 per cent smaller indoor unit with the highest microwave node capacity in the market, a 1Gbps small cell link with a 40 per cent smaller footprint and an 8Gbps E-band solution.

Following the principles of a certain Scandinavian building block company, the network can be upgraded module by module, with 5G being the target – although given that we don’t really know what 5G is yet, it might mean that while the site is capable of being easily upgraded, it will be in the wrong place for radio planning.

Ericsson also says the modules look good with a minimalistic design, which presumably means they come with their own Allen keys.

Ken Rehbehn, principal analyst of mobile telecom at 451 Group, says: “Ericsson Radio System is a generational shift that sets the stage for fascinating innovation going forward on the road to 5G.”

The first deployments of the Ericsson Radio System will be during the third quarter 2015 and will run Ericsson Networks Software 15B. Twice-annual software updates simplify the upgrade process and the entire system is run by a common management system, Ericsson Network Manager. ®