Tokyo gov’t to trial 5G antenna-equipped smart poles with Sumitomo Corp and NEC

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Sumitomo Corp and NEC Corp have concluded an agreement with the Tokyo Metropolitan Government on the preliminary/trial installation and verification of smart poles in the Shinjuku area of Tokyo by the end of June.

In its “TOKYO Data Highway Basic Strategy” formulated in August 2019, the Tokyo government calls for constructing an ultra-high-speed mobile internet network. As part of that effort, the government is looking to install smart poles at an early date in the Nishi-Shinjuku area, a priority improvement zone. Smart poles are multi-functional poles equipped with communication base stations, Wi-Fi, street lighting, signage, etc, and they are expected to serve as infrastructure useful for the provision of new community services.

Sumitomo and NEC will be installing two types of smart poles to verify their utility under both ordinary and emergency circumstances. More specifically, the two companies plan to install two models of NEC’s Smart Street Lighting equipped with functions such as digital signage and pedestrian traffic flow analysis cameras; one model will be outfitted with a 5G shared antenna system for joint use by multiple telecommunications carriers, while the other, a site-sharing model, will be equipped with 5G base stations for multiple telecommunications carriers.

With the aim of bringing 5G shared antenna systems into full-scale use by March 2021, efforts will be made to extend these systems across the entire metropolis and to help develop services for Tokyo residents/visitors through the construction of efficient infrastructure by accumulating knowledge on the installation and operation of smart poles.

Source: NEC