An innovative strategic partnership between Ericsson and the antenna market leader Kathrein-Werke KG has resulted in a ground-breaking antenna integrated radio (AIR) solution, which will be demonstrated next week at the Mobile World Congress 2011 in Barcelona, Spain. The AIR solution is planned for commercial release in the second half of 2011, the maker said.
According to Ericsson (News 
- Alert), the radio solution is based on a unique design that cleverly integrates the antenna into the radio unit to cut energy consumption and installation time drastically. The compact, multi-standard solution ensures highly efficient and smooth introduction of new technologies, both 3G and 4G.
As a result, a new standard or a new frequency band can easily be introduced by simply adding AIR and swapping the existing antenna. Mobile operators will also benefit from reduced costs due to shorter installation time, because AIR has fewer units and fewer interconnections compared to traditional site solutions, stated Ericsson.
The developer said that field trials conducted in customer networks proved a reduction of integration and installation time of up to 30 percent. Plus, the trials also demonstrated that the solution provides reduced power consumption of up to 42 percent, mainly due to reduced feeder loss and simplified cooling, added Ericsson
In a statement, commented Ulf Ewaldsson, vice president and head of Product Area Radio at Ericsson, "AIR is the fruit of in-depth discussions with customers about their future requirements for highly efficient radio access solutions. AIR will not only cut operational costs substantially, but it will also ensure a smooth introduction of new technologies and frequency bands."
As gaining access to new sites becomes increasingly difficult, site design and appearance is becoming more important. AIR has been carefully designed to blend into the environment and its sleek appearance is close to that of a traditional antenna, explained Ericsson.
Ewaldsson added, "In order to cope with the future capacity demands, we have a clearly defined small cell strategy. I am proud to announce that the AIR architecture is the first stepping stone towards a heterogeneous network."
Ashok Bindra is a veteran writer and editor with more than 25 years of editorial experience covering RF/wireless technologies, semiconductors and power electronics. To read more of his articles, please visit his columnist page.Edited by
Tammy Wolf
