Vodafone Boost UK 5G Mobile Rollout with New Ericsson Antenna

Mobile operator Vodafone UK has today announced that they’ve begun to deploy Ericsson’s new single Interleaved AIR 3218 antenna, which aims to increase the mid-band (radio spectrum) capacity of their 5G (mobile broadband) network and without creating any additional antenna footprint at their various network sites.

The new antenna, which brings Massive MIMO (massive multiple-input multiple-output) support for 5G mid-band spectrum, while also still supporting low bands in a single compact antenna, will enable Vodafone to simplify their site upgrades and acquisitions in areas where 5G improvements were previously being constrained by building regulations or planning laws (i.e. the alternatives often had a bigger footprint and that tends to attract extra checks, approvals and rent considerations).

The new kit also lowers the operator’s total cost of ownership, while the simplified deployment from having a single device – covering both the radio and antenna – should help to speed up their 5G rollout. Something like a 30% saving in site acquisition and build time is expected, which was calculated based on results from the first 5 sites where deployment has already been completed.

Ker Anderson, Vodafone UK’s Head of Radio and Performance, said:

“5G is the UK’s digital future, but we should never underestimate how difficult it is to deliver a future-proofed network at scale across the length and breadth of the UK. Working in partnership with Ericsson, we are constantly exploring new ways to accelerate this transformation, and this is another example of where innovation is delivered through collaboration.”

The AIR 3218 is currently forecast to be deployed across 50 sites within the Vodafone UK 5G network by the end of 2023.