The innovative design draws on world-renowned Scandinavian design. It represents a radical departure from conventional lattice or tubular steel structures, and helps win public acceptance, smoothing the way for operators to deploy new sites.

Ericsson’s Tower Tube has won the Technology Design category of the 2008 Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Awards.

Ericsson’s work in developing the Tower Tube captured the attention of judges at the eighth annual Innovation Awards, which recognize innovative individuals, companies and organizations around the world.  There were 700 entries across all categories, with only four percent of submissions receiving awards.

The Ericsson Tower Tube design “is a good attempt at making cell towers less obtrusive”, said Darlene JS Solomon, chief technology officer of Agilent Technologies Inc. and an Innovation Awards judge.

The ability to construct the tower using different colors and heights further supports its introduction across a wide variety of landscapes – both rural and urban. The slim design (about 5m in diameter) leaves a smaller footprint, reducing the need for land.

The Tower Tube provides operators with significant cost benefits. For example, the modular concrete construction allows rapid and cost-effective deployment. Feeders are no longer required. All equipment is safely encapsulated at the top of the tower so very low feeder loss is experienced, increasing the network’s coverage and capacity. It also reduces the need for cooling, thereby boosting energy efficiency and simultaneously reducing operator running costs.

Equipment is fully secure inside the tower and sheltered against the elements. This means indoor equipment can be used and antennas are protected by a weatherproof enclosure. The concrete shell also protects equipment from vandalism and lightning strikes.

The reduced energy expenditure over the lifetime of the site means that the environmental impact of a Tower Tube is significantly less than a traditional site.

The concrete used in the construction employs post-tension reinforcement technology. This allows for thin but robust walls to be constructed, substantially lowering the amount of carbon dioxide in the manufacturing process and further minimizing overall environmental impacts.