Image: © 2ragon/Stock.adobe.com
The two companies worked together on a proof-of-concept project last year to deploy a concealed 5G cell in Dublin.
Smart antenna provider Alpha Wireless has teamed up with a smart waste provider Bigbelly to scale up urban 5G through concealed masts.
The Laois-based company has developed a 5G cell site with Bigbelly. This product has an integrated antenna, mast, connectors and enclosure, combined with a Bigbelly platform.
This platform – called Telebelly – is designed to host and conceal network equipment, making it easier to deploy them in urban areas to scale up 5G deployment in locations where it is needed most.
The two companies worked together on a project last year to deploy a small 5G cell in Dublin, with the support of Dublin City Council.
A 5G small cell using the Telebelly and Alpha Wireless equipment. Image: Bigbelly/Alpha Wireless
The Telebelly platform means a public waste bin could be used to house the relevant ICT equipment, Wi-Fi and applications to deploy in an important location within the city.
Bigbelly CEO Brian Phillips said the company’s partnership with Alpha Wireless will help network operators “solve key challenges more quickly”.
“The revolutionary Telebelly enables essential connectivity and, if appropriate, waste management, in an easy to access location with minimal visual impact and footprint,” Phillips said.
The enclosure kit being offered by the two companies can be configured with various Alpha Wireless antennas to support small or larger scale deployments. The service is designed to be scalable, as each Telebelly can accommodate six radios and cabling.
Alpha Wireless CEO Fergal Lawlor said its antennas and the Telebelly enclosure are “a winning combination”.
“As 5G transforms how networks are built, today’s smart city innovators are looking to new, more functional solutions to hide telecoms infrastructure in plain sight,” Lawlor said. “Our licensing agreement with Bigbelly streamlines critical network scaling and densification to meet the relentless growth of subscriber data demands.”
Earlier today (8 February), it was announced that Telecom giant Cellnex is collaborating with Dublin City University to make it one of Ireland’s first 5G-enabled campuses.
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