On 6th May 2023, the procession for the coronation of King Charles III travelled down “The Mall,” in Westminster, Central London, between Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square; and the entire world wanted to watch.
Satellite trucks and cable would not be available to capture photos and video at the centre of this history-making coronation, and local network resources were insufficient for the momentous occasion.
The BBC needed to connect the media to inform the world. They contracted Neutral Wireless, which achieved this incredible feat by establishing the largest temporary 5G private network ever deployed using Alpha Wireless antennas.
Connecting Journalists
Recent technological developments provide journalists with computer hardware and software to broadcast anywhere via mobile. However, mobile traffic from an event of this magnitude has global significance and draws media worldwide. The demands on the local network, especially considering the volume of professional video, would overwhelm local resources.
This network needed to operate oppositely from a typical wireless network. In most networks, users download more content than they upload, but that was not so in this case. Broadcasters would need to upload high volumes of professional video that consumes a great deal of bandwidth.
The BBC secured 80 MHz of radio capacity separate from the public network to ensure enough bandwidth was available, and Neutral Wireless determined the best options for full coverage.
Line-of-Sight Challenges
The road the procession would travel is tree-lined to a height of 6-8 m, presenting line-of-sight concerns, and the horses presented a different kind of challenge. They were constantly moving and large enough to interfere with transmission, more so with a rider atop. CloudRF modelled the RF for Neutral Wireless using UK LiDAR data, determining where Neutral Wireless should place the masts for optimal effectiveness. As it turned out, the temporary masts needed to be in front of the trees. At the height of 4m, the masts were lower than a typical city cellular network, which limited the effective range. Still, the modelling enabled Neutral Wireless to establish contiguous service throughout the event zone.
Fine-Tuning with Alpha Wireless Antennas
Neutral Wireless mounted Alpha Wireless high-performance AW3828-E-F directional panel antennas on the strategically positioned masts. These antennas were perfect for the project, offering high gain, 33, 45, 60, 90, and 120-degree beamwidths and premium coverage throughput.
The AW3828-E-F antennas are four-port single-band antennas that cover the 3.5 MHz frequency band. Their remote electrical tilt (eRET) enabled Neutral Wireless to optimize antenna direction in a highly congested environment.
“In another great collaboration with Neutral Wireless, Alpha Wireless provided our innovative Private Network Antenna Solutions for the Coronation of King Charles III in the United Kingdom on the 6th of May. We are delighted to have been part of this success story, rolling out the largest ever temporary 5G network for this special event”.
SVP Sales for Alpha Wireless, Michelle Bolger.
About Alpha Wireless
Alpha Wireless is a leader in antenna technologies helping mobile and fixed wireless service providers maximize coverage, capacity and cost-efficiency. With over 15 years of experience and more than 1.5 million antennas installed worldwide, Alpha Wireless enables a smooth evolution to 5G with a full range of innovative antennas, including market-leading telecom streetworks solutions. We work closely with network operators, system integrators, neutral hosts, utilities, municipalities and OEMs to design solutions that overcome environmental and economic challenges while preserving the natural landscape. Based in Ireland with offices in Australia and the U.S., Alpha Wireless antennas are deployed in more than 50 countries. For more information, visit http://www.alphawireless.com.