Dutch smart lighting solutions provider Signify, formerly Philips Lighting, announced its indoor luminaire will be embedded with Ericsson 5G Radio Dot in a joint offering that will enable service providers to add indoor connectivity to buildings when the lighting systems are being built or upgraded, the former company said in a statement.
Signify said that the new joint offering is the result of a previous relationship between the two companies, who previously co-developed Lightpole Site Slim, a connected outdoor lighting pole small cell solution.
The new luminaire light fixture, which had been unveiled at Mobile World Congress 2019 Shanghai, features an embedded Ericsson Radio Dot, and will deliver not only light, but also 5G connectivity inside buildings.
The 5G Radio Dot, Ericsson’s indoor small cell solution, is small and light enough to embed easily into Signify’s lighting systems, Signify said.
“Our partnership with Signify is a great example of our innovative work in the indoor small cells space – we are continuously looking for new opportunities and easy ways for service providers and building owners to add indoor mobile connectivity. Our 5G Dot is so small and compact, it can fit into a lighting solution,” said David Hammarwall, head of product line radio within the business area networks unit at Ericsson.
“It’s all about connectivity inside buildings. The bulk of internet traffic is there and corporate WiFi will not always be the preferred option. Our connected lighting system, Interact Office, makes it possible to have a high-bandwidth network in the ceiling with Ericsson’s 5G Radio Dot embedded in the luminaires,” said Remco Lansbergen, senior director of global strategic alliances at Signify.
The two partners said that the embedded 5G Radio Dot will work with Signify’s Interact Office, benefiting from the architecture of the Radio Dot System – with power and backhaul delivered though standard networking cables (CAT 6).
Interact Office is a solution that turns offices into smart workplaces. The solution provides lighting management, lighting asset management, energy optimization, scene management, space management, indoor navigation and bio-adaptive lighting.