Radio Network

Below is a detailed overview of the location, technical aspects, and image gallery of the n40 and n248 antennas. Although the ELEGANT project only deploys two FR2 (n248) antennas per campus, the six FR1 (n40) antennas correspond to infrastructure previously installed by the 6G-OpenLab project.

To visualize the overall coverage of the project, the following map has been created, showing the combined coverage of all antennas, both at the Campus Nord and the Campus Baix Llobregat.

Map of Campus Nord (CN)

Map of Campus Baix Llobregat (CBL)

Technical Aspects of n258 Antennas

This section presents the technical aspects of the FR2 (n258) antennas, including the power supply system, grounding, connection to the BBU, and integration with their radio unit (RRH).

The n258 antenna is directly connected to the 220 V AC power supply network, as the antenna and the RRH are integrated into the same module. In addition, the grounding connection is made directly from the electrical panel, which is equipped with an equipotential bonding system to ensure safety and prevent potential differences between metal components.

For safety reasons, the skylight grounding has also been connected to the metal railing, to avoid the formation of potential differences and possible electrical leakage.

Finally, the antenna has a direct optical fiber connection to the BBU for signal transport.

Below is a physical diagram of the antenna:

Images – Campus Nord (CN) Antennas

n258 & n40 Antennas

1. Plaça de les Constel·lacions (right)

2. Plaça de les Constel·lacions (left)

3. Grounding – Skylight to Metal Railing

4. Rooftop – D4 Building

5. Rooftop – Vèrtex Building

6. Rooftop – Omega Building

Images – Campus Baix Llobregat (CBL) Antennas

n258 & n40 Antennas

1. Rooftop – RDIT Building

2. Rooftop – EEABB Building

3. Rooftop – C4 EETAC Building

4. Rooftop – D7 Building

Technical Aspects – BBU and CMU

The BBU (Baseband Unit) is the component responsible for the digital processing of the mobile signal. It manages functions such as radio control, data transmission, and the connection with the 5G network core. It coordinates the antennas and RRUs to ensure efficient communication between devices and the network.

The CMU (Compact Mobility Unit) from Nokia is a compact module that integrates the main functions of the 5G core, such as session management, user mobility, access policies, and traffic routing. It is designed for private networks or environments requiring low latency and high reliability.

Below is an image of the BBU, showing all direct fiber connections to the 5 antennas (3 n40 and 2 n258), and just below in black, the Nokia CMU (5G Core). In this case, only the Campus Nord (CN) part is shown; the Campus Baix Llobregat (CBL) setup is identical, with its own 5 corresponding antennas.