Ericsson unveils ‘green’ base station concept with Scandinavian design

Ericsson has unveiled an innovative radio base station site concept that is not only better for the environment but more cost-efficient to adopt and run, and more attractive to look at.

The modern design, from renowned architect Thomas Sandell, is a completely new approach to site architecture – the 5m-diameter, 40m-high flexible concrete tower encapsulates all radio base station equipment, including the antennas.

Thomas Sandell is one of Scandinavia‘s most celebrated architects and designers. His work is known globally thanks to collaboration with clients such as Electrolux, Capellini, Helly Hansen and IKEA. Sandell is a member of the board of the Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden. His most recent project is the controversial development of a circular bathhouse in Stockholm.

The aesthetics of the site concept, named the Ericsson Tower Tube, have been further enhanced by the choice of construction materials. The flexible concrete tower can be colored and branded to the operator’s specific needs to either blend in with its surroundings or become an attractive landmark for the local community.

And the concrete itself has a lower environmental impact than traditional steel, producing 30% less CO2 emissions during production and transportation.

Diverging from standard design, the radio base station is placed at the top of the tower cutting the distance between it and the antenna. This gives capacity and coverage benefits for the cellular network and can together with the fact that no active cooling is needed reduce energy consumption up to 40%.

As the new design occupies less land, 60-75% less than conventional sites, site acquisition is easier. Being a self-contained structure, operators can also avoid the need for security fences and the cost of maintaining and patrolling them.

“The appearance of radio base station sites has not really been considered before,” said Ulf Ewaldsson, Vice President and Head of Product Area Radio, Ericsson. “They have essentially been a steel tower and a container surrounded by a chain-link fence.”