Japanese communication equipment company JTower developed a compact base station (small cell) usable in the 6 GHz band of 5G (fifth generation mobile communication) in collaboration with NTT DoCoMo last August. This product features the ability to be attached to glass windows made of glass material. A transparent conductive material is applied between two layers of glass, designed to transmit communication signals. JTower supplied this equipment to 124 business sites in Japan and explained that it can improve the communication environment of outdoor events or roads adjacent to buildings.
Global communication equipment companies are focusing on the development of space-efficient 5G small cells. Unlike macro cells (large base stations) that support a wide reach of several kilometers, small cells are characterized by a narrow reach of several hundred meters. They can be installed indoors to ensure space efficiency. As of this year, 70% of all small cells were reported to be installed inside buildings.
Small cells are more economical compared to large base stations. The price of a small cell is typically around $1,800 (approximately 2.6 million won) per unit, which is only 10-20% of the price of large base stations. Song Young-geun, a principal researcher at the Korea Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), noted, "Small cells can easily use various frequency bands within a limited space and can be effectively utilized indoors where power is restricted."
◇ Development of small, lightweight 'small cells' follows
According to industry sources on the 18th, Nokia has been developing a portable 5G small cell since March last year. It is a product suitable for use in medium and small business sites of 5,000 to 20,000 square meters. Nokia explained that it reduced the size of the small cell by replacing the functions of the components inside it with software in collaboration with Intel.
Huawei has been developing a 5G small cell weighing only 12 kg since early 2023. Generally, macro cells pose challenges with both size and weight. Huawei developed this equipment to expand the 5G network range in situations where the installation space for base stations is limited. With the reduction in size, power consumption has also decreased by more than 20% compared to existing small cells.
Fujitsu developed an indoor small cell capable of operating at a 28 GHz frequency for 5G in early 2023. This product features 12 antennas that can send 5G signals in all directions at 360 degrees. Designed to be mounted on the ceiling, it does not take up additional space and can evenly transmit 5G signals throughout the indoor area.
◇ Samsung Electronics supplies 5G small cells to U.S. Comcast
Domestic corporations are also focusing on the development of small cells. In February last year, KT developed a small cell capable of simultaneously sending and receiving 5G and LTE (fourth generation mobile communication) signals in collaboration with communication equipment company Innowireless and completed performance verification. Of the total six antennas, four are designed for transmitting and receiving 5G signals, while two handle LTE.
Samsung Electronics has been supplying 5G small cells to Comcast, the number one cable operator in the United States, since October 2023. Since it can be installed by hanging on cables, 5G services can be easily provided anywhere.
SK Telecom and Ucast successfully implemented software for small cells in collaboration with the Korea Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) in 2023. It is characterized by its ability to provide fast communication even in densely populated areas.
According to market research firm Gartner, the number of small cells deployed worldwide is expected to increase from 5.46 million this year to 8.95 million by 2030.