The WAVEATTOCH glass antenna has been designed to be installed directly on glass facades. Once implemented, it helps improve the coverage and capacity of mobile networks, including 5G networks. Test results have shown that this innovative solution can help meet the growing demand for high-speed mobile Internet access, mainly in urban areas.
Proximus is launching an innovation platform dedicated to 5G on which the operator intends to collaborate with various market players such as AGC in order to develop innovative solutions capable of meeting the current needs of society and businesses. Proximus thus intends to accelerate the deployment of 5G and guarantee both the stability and the quality of mobile connectivity at a time when mobile data consumption is growing exponentially.
Mobile operators face many challenges. In response to the demand for higher speeds and lower latency, the development of new networks, including 5G, calls for the installation of more antennas. Finding new sites for the installation of antennas is however a challenge given the multitude of sites already occupied, especially in dense urban centers such as Brussels. Current EMF limitations prevent adding antennas to existing sites. The roofs and walls of many homes and buildings in urban centers are already riddled with antennas, cables and visible transmitters - an undesirable situation.
Proximus and AGC have joined forces to demonstrate the efficiency and excellent performance of WAVEATTOCH, a new glass antenna developed by AGC. Integrating perfectly into building facades, the WAVEATTOCH antenna can also be deployed quickly and inexpensively by operators due to its ease of installation. In addition, the new glass antenna is transparent and mounts indoors (while providing coverage to the outdoors), blending discreetly and harmoniously into the surrounding urban environment. All this makes the transparent WAVEATTOCH device a great alternative to exposed antennas in city centers in order to make more efficient and faster mobile data services available to more people.
The WAVEATTOCH antenna is suitable for most of the telecommunications frequencies used in Belgium for the different network generations (2G, 3G, 4G, 5G). Next to WAVEATTOCH, AGC has also developed GIL (Glass Interface Layer) and WAVETHRU technologies, which allow the installation of WAVEATTOCH antennas on facades with insulating glazing of any type and guarantee compliance with regulatory limits in terms of 'EMF broadcasts. Bernard Monville, Head of WAVE Venture, explains: “Glass antennas can be installed at lower heights and require less transmit power to cover high density urban areas. Proximus can thus meet EMF standards. "
The glass antenna tested on the Proximus Tower is a 5G antenna (3,7 GHz, 4x4 MiMo) connected to the 5G network of Proximus. It was developed at the AGC Research Center in Gosselies, Belgium, an ultra-modern laboratory where, in particular, glasses with integrated antennas (for buildings and automobiles) are developed and tested to meet growing connectivity needs. Geert Standaert, Chief Technology Officer at Proximus, indicates: “We will continue our tests with AGC, because the potential of these products in built-up areas, in dense urban areas and in interior spaces seems very promising. We intend to launch new projects in the future. "