—PowerShift Automatically Delivers the
Most Efficient Power to Remote Radio Units—
DUBAI, UAE, November 10,
2015—With wireless operators deploying increasingly powerful remote radio
units (RRUs) at the top of cell towers, and with those RRUs being further
distanced from the power distribution points, delivering electric power
efficiently becomes more challenging—and costly. To help solve the problem,
CommScope introduces PowerShift™, a whole new way of
managing power to RRUs at macro and micro cell sites.
CommScope believes PowerShift is the wireless industry’s first
intelligent, plug-and-play direct current (DC) power supply solution for RRUs. PowerShift can help operators re-utilize
existing power cable infrastructure, eliminate the need for deploying higher gauge
conductors when installing new cabling and increase the useable length for
cables by over four times. It can also extend RF battery uptime by up to 35
percent.
“Network operators are targeting energy consumption reductions of up to
25 percent over the next decade and beyond, and CommScope is responding with
the industry-first PowerShift solution,” said Stan Catey, senior vice president
and general manager, Cable Products, CommScope. “PowerShift is specifically
designed for the advanced cell site architectures used for 4G/LTE and beyond,
and to help our customers increase battery backup time, save CapEx and/or OpEx
and build future-ready networks.”
In the majority of macro cell site installations today, the operator has
installed an RRU close to the antenna to decrease RF signal loss and achieve
other performance benefits. Separated from the baseband unit, each RRU needs
its own power, typically between 300-600 watts but which can exceed 1,000
watts. In this site architecture, power cables deliver the energy from the
power distribution point, which is usually at the bottom of the tower.
CommScope’s PowerShift solution automatically delivers the
most efficient voltage to the RRU, utilizing technology CommScope developed
with the power supply experts at General Electric®. The innovative
PowerShift solution requires no manual calibration when managing power supply.
It is currently available for trial with general availability expected in the
first quarter of 2016. The benefits for operators can include:
- Reduced capital expenditures through the use of smaller diameter power cables, especially the ones already deployed on-site in RRU upgrade scenarios
- Decreased operating expenditures due to lower overall power consumption, more efficient inventorying, standardized installation and lower shipping costs
- Decreased weight and wind load on towers with smaller diameter cables
- Extended RF battery uptime of up to 35 percent more by taking full advantage of the existing battery back-up system
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