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Boosting 5G Coverage with Transparent Antennas and Shared Infrastructure

We have looked at transparent antennas for a while now with my first post on the topic back in 2019. Since then this technology has matured immensely as I detailed in a blog post last year. Transparent antennas are no longer just experimental concepts but have reached the stage of commercial deployment, often combined with infrastructure sharing models to maximise efficiency and coverage.

In Japan, infrastructure sharing has taken on special significance. The high cost of network deployment, limited availability of installation sites and the density of urban environments make it challenging for operators to expand coverage on their own. Shared infrastructure helps reduce duplication, control costs and speed up the roll-out of services.

For readers unfamiliar with JTOWER, it is a Japanese company specialising in shared telecommunications infrastructure. JTOWER develops and manages towers and in-building solutions across Japan, with the goal of improving connectivity while reducing the duplication of network assets. By providing operators with cost-effective infrastructure sharing, JTOWER enables more efficient roll-outs of mobile services while supporting sustainability and scalability. The company has been a pioneer in infrastructure sharing since 2014 and continues to expand its reach nationwide.

According to a press release by JTOWER, the company connected its 5G-compatible sharing device with AGC’s transparent “glass antenna” at the Shinjuku 3-Chome East Building in Tokyo. This marked the first commercial use of the antenna in Japan for infrastructure sharing, carried out in collaboration with NTT Docomo.

The glass antenna, branded as WAVEANTENNA, was developed by AGC with technical input from NTT Docomo. It transforms a window into a 5G base station, providing coverage to outdoor areas while blending seamlessly with the building design. According to an article in IEEE Spectrum, the antenna uses transparent conductive materials sandwiched within laminated glass to transmit and receive signals, reducing disruption when radio waves pass through windows. It is optimised for the Sub-6 GHz 5G bands and can be designed in different glass thicknesses to manage attenuation and reflection.

For operators, the key advantage of this approach is the combination of aesthetics and efficiency. Transparent antennas can be installed without spoiling the cityscape or requiring large, visible base station equipment. At the same time, when combined with JTOWER’s infrastructure sharing platform, the technology allows multiple operators to serve the same area with reduced cost and energy usage. This is particularly relevant in dense urban environments like Tokyo, where demand for 5G coverage is high but installation space is limited.

This is just one of the approaches being used to boost signals. In another blog post a few months back we detailed how Deutsche Bahn in Germany is benefitting from a pioneering laser process that etches a fine pattern into the metallic coating of window panes to enhance signal entry. At MWC 2025 earlier this year, I also noticed many Chinese vendors showcasing their own transparent antenna solutions, with claims of widespread deployment already underway. Transparent antennas are likely to see much wider adoption across global networks, and as we move towards 6G, such innovations will be essential to provide seamless coverage in increasingly complex environments.

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