Connectivity Technology Blog

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...

Couple of years back I blogged about how Deutsche Bahn and Deutsche Telekom (DT) are radically improving mobile reception on trains in Germany with the expectation that in future, passengers using the DT network will be able to make calls and surf the internet on all routes without interruption – in much better quality than currently available. Now in another announcement , Deutsche Bahn (DB), Ericsson, O2 Telefónica and Vantage Towers have announced that they are working together to develop a solution that would establish an extensive 5G mobile communications infrastructure along train tracks in Germany. The press release said: The new infrastructure will give train passengers gigabit speeds for their telephone and data connections and provide high-performance transmission technology for further digitalizing rail operations. Today the partners received the official word from the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) that they will receive funding to test innovativ...

As we have started converting more wind, solar and other forms of energy to electricity, there is more supply that ever available previously.  Similarly we are also consuming more power than ever. Electric cars for example consume a lot of energy. In addition we have more electronic gadgets that we keep connected to chargers, regardless of weather they need charging or not.  At every instant of time, the power fed in the grid has to be consumed or stored somewhere. In addition, it has to be ensured that the amplitude, frequency and phase remains constant. This is where Synchrophasors come into play. The video below, explains it in a simple way what they are:  u-blox has a nice write-up on this topic explaining why this is important.  Improvements in terms of timing accuracy have come in lock-step with improvements in positioning accuracy. The u‑blox F9 GNSS receiver platform, which brought scalable and affordable high precision positioning – down to the decimet...

Paris Metro may not be the oldest in the world but it is still one of the world's oldest. Having first opened in 1900, it was last expanded in 2013. It it no doubt that this was the main motivation for the Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens or RATP excitedly announced that 100% of Paris metro is now covered in 4G! [Service] Le réseau est désormais 100% couvert en 4G ! Ce service permet notamment un accès facilité à l’information voyageurs en station, dans les tunnels et à bord des trains (applications #RATP et Via Navigo, comptes Twitter de l'entreprise ...) ➡️ https://t.co/pwYYHBPrz6 pic.twitter.com/IZ1pcOfjzW — RATP Group (@RATPgroup) June 29, 2020 Mobile Europe reported : The network was a joint effort between France’s four mobile operators – Bouygues Telecom, Free Mobile, SFR and Orange.  The service works in the Metro's tunnels and on trains, according to Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens (RATP), the authority that runs the city’s Metro and the...

Back in July 2019, GSMA did an extensive report on 'Closing the Coverage Gap using Innovation to Drive Rural Connectivity'. The report focussed on the 3 main areas that are responsible for most costs; namely, Base Stations, Backhaul and Energy. A detailed blog is available on GSMA Mobile for Development section here . The only mild criticism I have about this blog and the report is that it completely ignores Open RAN. (You can learn about OpenRAN here and see deployment example in Peru as part of Internet Para Todos here ) The PDF of the report is available here . There was also a webinar on this topic. Slides are here and video is embedded below. Related Posts : The 3G4G Blog: A quick tutorial on Open RAN, vRAN & White Box RAN 3G4G Small Cells Blog: KT 5G Skyship Search and Rescue Platform 3G4G Small Cells Blog: Altaeros’ Autonomous Tethered Aerial Cell Tower, SuperTower ST200 Connectivity Technology Blog: AT&T Celebrates 1 million FirstNet Connec...