Ericsson in partnership with PowerLight Technologies, a laser light innovator, have announced demonstration of world’s first wireless powered 5G base station.
The achievement is part of a partnership between the two companies to explore and develop innovative 5G solutions aimed at enhancing the speed and flexibility of network deployment in diverse environments.
Kevin Zvokel, Head of Networks,Ericsson, in a statement said, “Both PowerLight and Ericsson are focused on innovation.
“The proof-of-concept (PoC) demo milestone was achieved recently using optical beaming – a laser-based technology that converts electricity into high-intensity light which is then captured and transformed to electricity at the radio base station.
“No wires were connected to the site from the street power grid network and no on-site power generation was involved. The base station site was completely ‘powerless’ until wirelessly powered over the air through a laser beam.
“The ability to safely transfer power across distances without having to be connected to the power grid eliminates one of the big obstacles we have when building new cell sites.
“The time savings and flexibility gains will make this an attractive solution for our customers,” he noted.
Claes Olsson, Executive Chairman, PowerLight Technologies, said that most people only aware that wireless charging technology was available for small electronic devices, such as cell phones and watches.
He said successful demonstration of the technology underscores the major leaps acheieved recently toward the commercialisation of safe, wireless power transmission for larger-scale systems.
“PowerLight is developing systems today to transfer kilowatts of safe power over distances of kilometers that will be commercially available in the next few years.
“Communications service providers will also have the flexibility to position a base station without compromising communication needs in relation to where a power wire is located.
“The two companies are exploring the possibility of delivering safe wireless power-beaming capabilities to enable cleaner and more sustainable operations for mobile networks, “he said.
