EBlink technology breaks the distance barrier in Ireland, allows operator to move quickly into operation and provide service to the city
Situation
In 2010, a major mobile operator in Ireland needed to expand its network coverage to 99 percent of the country. Site development efforts were increasingly encountering situations with challenging technical and economic issues. Case in point: a promising location for a three-sector base station at a distribution center in a small town. The single-story complex had broad roof surfaces and an ideal location, but the base station and radio antennas had to be 120 meters apart. A coax cable link would have required extensive, costly construction work and time-consuming installation, and the cable length would have resulted in significant power loss (up to 6 dB). In addition, the site’s landlord objected to the cable installation.
Action
Because EBlink technology connects the base station and network antenna through a wireless link, it eliminates the need for traditional coaxial feeders or fiber-optic links. This greatly simplified the operator’s site plan. An EBlink CN module and lower fronthaul antenna were installed on the roof of the building near the radio shelter, while an upper fronthaul antenna and Wireless RRH™ module were installed on the roof with the RF antenna. Installation was able to proceed immediately, as the site landlord dropped his objections, and work was completed in a single day. No construction or excavation was needed.
Result
A traditional coaxial cable installation at the site would have cost an estimated 28,000 euros, mostly for the 120-meter feeder cable run. By contrast, the EBlink approach cost just 9,000 euros, a savings of 19,000 euros. Traffic monitoring has shown excellent call-drop and call-completion rates. But perhaps the most important outcome is that the site moved quickly into operation, performing to expectation and generating revenue – with the operator recovering its installation cost in a matter of months.
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