Under the terms of their agreement, Ubicquia will use Movandi’s technology to create an mmWave smart repeater that plugs into a streetlight’s photocell socket in minutes — the system is said to be compatible with 360 million existing streetlights worldwide, to accelerate broad 5G mmWave coverage and FWA deployment. These would install in just minutes and lock onto host RAN signals automatically to ensure repeater–to–repeater connectivity without the need for fiber connectivity to the core network. The mmWave smart repeater also integrates with all major RAN/Open RAN technologies, including Ericsson, Huawei, Nokia, and Samsung, and supports all global mmWave spectrum bands.

The streetlight repeaters, expected to enter test and deployment in 2023, meet utility power, protection, metering, weight, and wind loading requirements, and can ensure optimal outdoor coverage and user experiences by extending the range of 5G mmWave gNBs and redirecting signals around obstacles.