10 World Trade office tower boosts connectivity with indoor 5G solution – Computer Weekly

Deployment of Enterprise 5G Coverage Solution at 10 World Trade, Boston

Executive Summary

A collaborative project between Ericsson, Boston Global Investors (BGI), and Aspen Venue Partners (Aspen) has resulted in the successful deployment of an Enterprise 5G Coverage solution at the 10 World Trade commercial development in Boston. This initiative establishes a scalable, multi-operator connectivity model that directly supports several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in the areas of infrastructure, sustainable cities, and innovation.

Project Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The 10 World Trade development is designed with a core mission of promoting health, wellness, and environmentally sustainable design. The integration of Ericsson’s 5G technology is a critical component in achieving these objectives and aligns with the following SDGs:

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure: The project builds resilient, next-generation digital infrastructure that fosters innovation. The neutral host model represents an innovative approach to shared infrastructure, enhancing accessibility and efficiency.
• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities: By providing robust and reliable connectivity within a human-centered, sustainable building, the project contributes to the development of inclusive, safe, and resilient urban communities. The system’s reduced energy consumption further supports this goal.
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth: The high-performance connectivity infrastructure empowers tenants and businesses, promoting productivity and sustainable economic growth by enabling advanced digital operations.

Technological Implementation and Infrastructure

Ericsson Radio Dot System

The foundation of the next-generation wireless environment at 10 World Trade is the Ericsson Radio Dot System. This selection was made after an evaluation of multiple distributed antenna and radio systems.

1. System Design: It is a distributed radio system utilizing small cells to deliver high-capacity indoor 5G coverage.
2. Key Features: The system is noted for its compact form factor, radio diversity, and multi-operator functionality.
3. Scalability: It is engineered to scale across large venues without the cost or complexity associated with traditional distributed antenna systems (DAS).
4. Future-Readiness: The infrastructure is in place to support advanced use cases such as private 5G and network slicing, enabling tenants to meet evolving digital demands without requiring major new investments. This directly supports long-term innovation as outlined in SDG 9.

The Neutral Host Model: A Framework for Sustainability

Core Principles

A neutral host approach was adopted, allowing multiple mobile operators to share a single radio access network while utilizing their own spectrum. This model is central to the project’s contribution to sustainable development.

Benefits and SDG Contributions

• Resource Efficiency (SDG 12): Sharing radio infrastructure eliminates redundant equipment, promoting responsible consumption of materials and resources.
• Reduced Energy Consumption (SDG 7 & SDG 11): The shared model significantly reduces overall energy consumption and maintenance costs compared to multiple, separate operator systems, contributing to affordable, clean energy goals and sustainable city infrastructure.
• Accelerated Service Delivery (SDG 9): The model simplifies installation and accelerates the time-to-service for both mobile operators and the building owner, enhancing the development of reliable and resilient infrastructure.
• Enhanced User Experience: For tenants and visitors, the system ensures consistent, high-quality coverage and performance, making connectivity a seamless and essential utility for daily operations and economic productivity (SDG 8).

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Analysis

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 9: Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

  The article’s core focus is on the deployment of advanced digital infrastructure—specifically, Ericsson’s Enterprise 5G Coverage solution. This directly relates to building resilient infrastructure, promoting inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and fostering innovation. The project at 10 World Trade is presented as a model for integrating “intelligent digital infrastructure” into commercial real estate, highlighting its role in supporting enterprise operations and enabling future technologies like private 5G and network slicing.

• SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities

  The project is situated in a “landmark commercial development in the city’s Seaport District” with a mission to lead in “environmentally sustainable, human-centred design.” By implementing a shared, energy-efficient connectivity solution, the development contributes to making urban commercial spaces more sustainable and inclusive. The article emphasizes how this approach can be integrated into buildings “from day one,” showcasing a model for sustainable urban development.

• SDG 7: Affordable and Clean Energy

  The article explicitly states that the neutral host approach, where multiple operators share infrastructure, “reduces energy consumption” compared to conventional models. This directly addresses the goal of improving energy efficiency, as the shared system lowers the overall power required to provide comprehensive mobile coverage within the large building.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Target 9.1: Develop quality, reliable, sustainable and resilient infrastructure… to support economic development and human well-being.

   The deployment of Ericsson’s Radio Dot System is aimed at creating a “reliable, high-performance connectivity” solution. The article describes it as a “scalable model” that “enhances enterprise operations” and “supports critical safety communications,” directly contributing to the development of quality and resilient infrastructure that supports economic activity and well-being within the commercial space.

2. Target 9.c: Significantly increase access to information and communications technology…

   The project’s goal is to deliver a “future-ready connectivity solution” that provides “high-capacity 5G coverage indoors.” By implementing a multi-operator system, it ensures that tenants and users with different mobile carriers have consistent and high-quality access to the latest communication technology, thereby increasing access to ICT within the building’s large footprint.

3. Target 11.6: By 2030, reduce the adverse per capita environmental impact of cities…

   The building, 10 World Trade, was designed to “embody commitment to excellence and sustainability.” The chosen 5G solution supports this by reducing the building’s environmental footprint. The article notes that the neutral host model “reduces energy consumption,” which is a key factor in lowering the overall environmental impact of a large urban commercial development.

4. Target 7.3: By 2030, double the global rate of improvement in energy efficiency.

   The article highlights that the shared infrastructure model is more energy-efficient than traditional systems. The statement that the neutral host approach “reduces energy consumption” is a direct reference to improving energy efficiency. By allowing multiple operators to use a single radio access network, it avoids the redundant energy use of multiple separate systems, contributing to this target at a micro-level.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Indicator for Target 9.c (Implied): Mobile network coverage and performance.

   The article repeatedly mentions providing “high-capacity 5G coverage indoors” and ensuring “consistent coverage and performance.” Progress can be measured by the percentage of the building’s area covered by the 5G signal and the quality of service (e.g., data speed, latency) available to users, which aligns with the spirit of Indicator 9.c.1 (Proportion of population covered by a mobile network, by technology).

2. Indicator for Targets 7.3 and 11.6 (Direct): Reduction in energy consumption.

   The article explicitly states that the deployed solution “reduces energy consumption.” This can be a direct indicator. Progress could be measured by quantifying the energy savings of the neutral host system compared to the estimated energy consumption of multiple, separate distributed antenna systems (DAS) that would otherwise be required to provide the same level of coverage.

3. Indicator for Target 9.1 (Implied): System scalability and reliability.

   The article describes the system as having “carrier-grade performance, scalability and proven reliability.” An implied indicator would be the system’s uptime, its ability to support a “high device density,” and its capacity to be upgraded to support “advanced use cases like private 5G and network slicing” without major new infrastructure investments, demonstrating its resilience and sustainability.

4. SDGs, Targets, and Indicators Summary Table

Source: computerweekly.com