The design of the new RBS 6000 radio base stations will enable operators to use the same enclosure and operation & maintenance system for multiple radio standards: GSM, WCDMA, HSPA or LTE. Ulf Ewaldsson, head of Product Area Radio within Business Unit Networks at Ericsson, says the same cabinet can support multiple radio-frequency technologies “With RBS 6000, the cabinet essentially becomes the site, and we can add the different base stations as modules. This is a revolution in itself.” With increasing demand for both mobile broadband and mobile voice calls around the world, operators sooner or later have to support multiple radio technologies in their networks, Ewaldsson says.

“The RBS 6000 series will meet the needs of all operators,” he says. “It proves that we are continuing to invest in the next generation of GSM with a new building practice while at the same time facilitating low-cost expansion of WCDMA and HSPA. It will also make migration to LTE less costly. With RBS 6000, LTE will be just another radio technology module for an existing cabinet.”

The RBS 6000 series will include a wide range of enclosures, from large macro base stations to main-remote solutions and wall-mounted units, offering operators the opportunity to reduce site-acquisition and operating costs significantly.

Marie Westrin, head of Ericsson's Development Unit Radio, says RBS 6000 will significantly lower total ownership costs for operators, thanks to its modular design, complete site integration and common building practice.

“Operators want more than higher radio capacity today,” Westrin says. “Parameters such as low operation & maintenance costs and energy consumption are becoming increasingly important. Best-in-class radio capacity goes without saying for Ericsson, but with the RBS 6000's compact and fully integrated design, we're pushing the total cost of ownership for the operator as low as possible.”

Ewaldsson says the RBS 6000 series also addresses concerns about sustainability and environmental impact for operators and consumers alike. Its small size, fully integrated design and state-of-the-art power supply will reduce energy consumption significantly.

“RBS 6000 paves the way to sustainability, not only for the operator's business, but also for the environment,” Ewaldsson says.

The first RBS 6000 base station is expected to be commercially available towards the end of this year. Ericsson will continue to support the existing RBS 2000 (GSM) and RBS 3000 (WCDMA) base-station families. RBS 6000 components will be fully compatible with existing platforms. Existing base stations therefore continue to provide operators with a path forward, Ewaldsson says.