Jack Loughran Mon 4 Nov 2024
Collected at: https://eandt.theiet.org/2024/11/04/vodafone-unveils-space-saving-5g-mast-design
Vodafone has unveiled a new space-saving 5G mast design that could lower the number of masts needed in some areas.
The new technology could also help to reduce numbers of street-level equipment cabinets and could boost the capacity and speed of Vodafone’s mobile network.
The new mast design, called ‘quad stack’ by network engineers, has been designed with London in mind.
Built-up areas often have less space for masts, so they need to be slimmer, with a smaller footprint as a result. The downside to this is that they cannot host all the antennae and radio units needed to provide 2G, 4G and 5G services to the surrounding area. The problem is especially acute in parts of the country where Vodafone shares masts with other mobile operators – needing a second mast to do so. The firm recently signed a decade-long deal with O2 to share network infrastructure in a bid to improve performance and coverage.
Unlike older masts, a single quad stack can support 2G, 4G and 5G thanks to various space-saving technologies and construction techniques. One example of this is the ability to combine multiple fibre-optic cables into a single ribbon cable with a compact connector. At pavement level, the various equipment cabinets can be rationalised and reduced in number.
Vodafone has so far used the quad stack design across Greater London, as it has been designed to withstand the wind shear typical in that part of the country.
In May, MPs on the Public Accounts Committee said that efforts to increase 4G coverage to 95% of the UK’s landmass by the end of 2025 might not be sustainable and were at risk of being missed.
While the rate of infrastructure roll-out has been at the pace necessary to hit the target, the remaining locations will be harder to reach and connect compared with the work that has been done so far.
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