Deutsche Telekom, Covestro and the Swedish Umeå Institute of Design (UID) are currently cooperating in a pilot project to test new creative designs for 5G small cells, DT said in a release.
The German telco said that the partners are developing antenna housings that fit in with the urban landscape, either by standing out with a decorative design, or by harmoniously blending in to their surroundings.
Under the terms of the pilot poject, Covestro is developing innovative and sustainable material solutions, while Deutsche Telekom contributes its technological expertise on antennae for mobile wireless and network expansion. Students at the UID conceptualize the creative designs. Covestro is among the world’s largest polymer companies.
The project initially started with a study on the ground in the city of Düsseldorf. Then, the partners drafted attractive antenna housings with colors and structures that met technical and aesthetic requirements, which resulted in a variety of design concepts.
In future, Deutsche Telekom will be installing more small cells for 5G, for instance in stoplights, lanterns, or facades. The carrier said it is currently using small cells in its LTE expansion.
“In the design project with Covestro, we were able to place our technical requirements early on and work together with the students on their design ideas,” said Thomas Jansen, head of the Small Cell Competence Team at Deutsche Telekom Technik. “Together, we have developed powerful 5G solutions that can be harmoniously integrated into the cityscape.”
“The entire pilot project is a great chance to illustrate the potential and the outstanding properties of our materials,” said Sucheta Govil, chief commercial officer of Covestro. “Innovative, adaptable materials will give us creative freedom to accelerate the distribution of key digital technologies with user-friendly solutions in the near future.”
Deutsche Telekom kicked off the rollout of its 5G network in six cities across Germany at the beginning of July. The initial rollouts took place in Berlin and Bonn, Darmstadt, Hamburg, Leipzig, and Munich.
DT said that a total of 300 5G base stations in more than 100 locations across the country will be deployed and brought online by the end of the year.
In the upcoming 18 months, the 20 largest cities in Germany will be connected with 5G, according to DT.
