Verizon and Ericsson, working in collaboration to find an alternative solution for the rapid deployment of 5G, recently claimed success testing a battery-powered millimeter wave cell site.
Using Integrated Access Backhaul (IAB) technology, a component of 3GPP’s 5G Release 16, millimeter wave spectrum allocated to backhaul can be diverted to a temporary battery-powered millimeter wave cell site. This temporary solution gives carriers the ability to set up a completely mobile 5G cell site in an area that doesn’t yet have power and/or fiber, reported Venture Beat.
Although Verizon is still investing billions of dollars into fiber, IAB provides a unique solution that can temporarily boost a 5G network while waiting for permanent fiber or power cabling. When the fiber infrastructure is in place, millimeter wave spectrum that was allocated to backhaul can then be reallocated to devices. First responders needing immediate access to 5G in emergency situations will benefit from the ultra-high bandwidth and low latency needed for drone operations or video communications, according to the companies.
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