Energy efficiency is at the center of Ericsson’s 5G update

Ericsson has announced further enhancements to its radio access network (RAN) portfolio with solutions designed to address the 5G rollout and goals of sustainability for communications service providers.

According to the company, the portfolio additions will result in significant energy savings and up to ten-fold capacity growth — all with minimum or no additional footprint.

Per Narvinger, Head of Product Area Networks, Ericsson, says: “We continue to evolve our RAN portfolio with more solutions for smart, slim, and sustainable 5G networks. Our latest innovations will further optimize 5G sites for both purpose-built and Cloud RAN deployments.”

5G deployments are accelerating around the world, with early adopters preparing for the transition to 5G Standalone to drive new consumer and commercial use cases. Bringing 5G to market need more spectrum and hardware, which is where Ericsson’s new solutions come in, with the potential to increase capacity while reducing power consumption, therefore fuelling attempts to break the energy curve.

The portfolio additions also include:

• Easy-to-install 64T/R Massive MIMO AIR 6428 for mid-band, with 400MHz bandwidth for efficient RAN sharing, in a single-person-carry 25kg radio 

• Highly integrated, multi-band Antenna 4602 – only 398mm wide, designed for best wind load durability and for maintained site build requirements
• Next-generation Interleaved AIR 3218 with industry-leading low height and weight, enabling Massive MIMO rollouts without growing visual antenna footprint
• Expanded Deep Sleep mode software for new radios and Massive MIMO portfolios. Consumes up to 70 percent less power per radio during low traffic hours
• Coverage Boost is a versatile 5G carrier aggregation software that delivers 60 percent wider reach for mid-band TDD (Time Division Duplex) compared to dual connectivity. It supports RAN Compute and Cloud RAN platforms

Ed Gubbins, Principal Analyst at Global Data, says: “With this launch, Ericsson has shown its commitment to sustainability through energy-efficient products and solutions for 5G rollouts and site expansions. Ericsson’s recipe includes in-house silicon, innovative radio and antenna product engineering, and advanced software features.”

The new solutions are powered by Ericsson Silicon’s next-generation multi-band and wide-band capabilities for distant and Massive MIMO radios, which have a smaller footprint and require less power.