Ericsson and PowerLight demonstrate wireless powered 5G base station

Ericsson and PowerLight have demonstrated what they claim to be the world’s first wireless powered 5G base station. The proof-of-concept (PoC) demo milestone was achieved recently in Seattle using optical beaming—a laser-based technology that converts electricity into high-intensity light which is then captured and transformed to electricity at the radio base station. No wires were connected to the site from the street power grid network and no on-site power generation was involved. The base station site was completely ‘powerless’ until wirelessly powered over the air through a laser beam. The achievement is part of a partnership between the two companies to explore and develop innovative 5G solutions aimed at enhancing the speed and flexibility of network deployment in diverse environments. Wireless power was safely distributed to an Ericsson Streetmacro 6701—a 5G millimeter wave (mmWave) radio base station. It was achieved using PowerLight’s laser technology to transmit hundreds of watts over hundreds of meters through the air, the partners note, adding that they view the milestone as a major step toward a goal for subsequent generations of the solution to transmit kilowatts of energy over longer distances.