Integrating 5G Into The Urban Landscape
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City planners continually face challenges concerning the rollout of new technology. Their job is ultimately to improve the lives of the city residents as well as to attract opportunities for businesses to flourish in their region, while also improving the aesthetic nature of the city. Nobody wants to live in an area that is technologically advanced but looks cold and robotic, so the challenges facing officials on ways to integrate technological advances into the cityscape are numerous. This is especially true when those advancements also involve the significant expansion of communications networks in order to improve upon an existing system.
In the case of the upgrade from 4G to 5G in urban environments, the previous generations of cellular technology primarily utilized macro cell sites that could be positioned a mile or more from one another and still provide complete coverage and connectivity. The new 5G high-frequency signals are significantly faster but the nodes need to be positioned closer together to maintain achieve optimum connectivity. They also need to be closer to the devices themselves, so at street level, to effectively send and receive 5G signals. To illustrate the magnitude of this increase, 5G small cell sites must be positioned one-tenth of a mile apart to maintain the same connectivity rates as 4G sites positioned a mile or more apart.
This increases the number of small cell sites that must be added to a network, multiplying the equipment involved by more than six times. While the benefits of 5G in urban environments are obvious, with increased access to higher resolution video, more financial and entertainment options available, and educational opportunities brought closer to home, the desire not to create an unsightly landscape also is important. This is why the latest technological advances from Raycap in the concealment industry are so important.
Raycap is now offering multiple solutions to conceal 5G small site equipment. Their STEALTH product lines include streetlight poles, side-mounted equipment shrouds, rooftop panels, and more as integration points for 5G radios, antennas, and components in the network. Raycap STEALTH design engineers will work with carriers, real estate owners, and city officials to offer solutions that create a safer, more pleasing environment by concealing network infrastructure equipment within a wide variety of different concealment options. All individual components in a small cell site are connected to an AC power disconnect which is connected to a power meter, providing safety and access to utilities.
Built-in surge protection and the ability to disconnect easily when repairs or upgrades are necessary to help utility personnel service the small cell sites whenever needed. By combining and standardizing many components, typically found in two or more boxes on a wall or streetlight pole, the landscape is more attractive and safety and ease of maintenance are increased for those working around them. Using Raycap’s InvisiWave® solution to conceal the 5G mmWave radios and antenna, signals can effectively be received/transmitted while the hardware is hidden. The commonly used mmWave frequencies used in 5G networks have been proven to effectively pass through Raycap’s InvisiWave, assuring that the signals are not compromised. The “smart city” of the future is here, and 5G is rolling out in your area without even being noticed.