No sites available for a radio base station? Try the bus stop

As demand for more mobile data services increases, operators need to expand their coverage and also capacity. The challenge is that finding more sites to build their radio infrastructure is becoming increasingly complex. Most of these sites are required at street level in order to reach those hungry-bandwidth applications users consume today.

As cities get more crowded, finding spaces for radio sites is not an easy task. Neverthless, Mega-cities of the future will require hundred of thousands of cells to maintain the high demand of a connected society.

Few weeks ago, Ericsson announced a new way to blend urban aesthetics with the needs for more sites. The connected bus stops you see in the picture incorporates 3G, LTE or Wi-Fi small cell technology that provides public transport operators with an additional source of revenue.

It also supports commuter-specific capabilities like real-time information about bus status, interactive maps, local news and tourist information. 

The connected bus stop can also incorporate screens that display real-time information about bus movements and touch-screens that provide access to interactive maps, local news, tourist information and advertising. Also,  closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera, panic button and push-to-talk functionality could be added to improve security and make it easy for commuters to contact police in case of emergency