5G and Industrial Surge Protection

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Is surge protection used in 5G installations?

 

5G coverage for major metropolitan areas across the globe is one of the largest endeavors being undertaken by private companies and municipalities. The switchover from earlier generation slower speed networks to 5G is necessary for carriers to remain competitive, with customers naturally choosing the carriers that will provide them with the fastest speeds available for data transfer. Our cell phones are no longer only used to connect calls between people and have evolved into the means of connection between ourselves and the internet. They are nearly as crucial to business and private use as the computers used to manage daily workflow or contact. Cell phones and tablets have become the tools used for on-the-go connection to networks, so connectivity speeds must be improved to allow the transfer of larger files. The simple streaming of a movie or video involves a massive amount of data that used to take a significant amount of time to download before it could be viewed. But technology has evolved to allow viewing while the data is being received, ushering in a new era of streaming entertainment on our mobile devices. The network infrastructure has needed to be replaced with different equipment that can receive and transmit the frequencies used by 5G. This is why the switchover to 5G became so critical. Simply put, if you have a 5G capable device, you want a network that’s capable of providing you with 5G service

 

In densely populated areas, 5G nodes must be much closer to one another since the signals do not propagate as far. They actually need to be about much closer and nearer the users in these cases than tower transmissons, and they require a combination of antenna and radio types that can provide all signals in the 5G network to best work together. This massive rollout of 5G equipment into the field includes equipment placed in close proximity to users (small cells) on poles and rooftops, and equipment added to existing towers (c-Band). With all the new and additional equipment being added to cell sites, the need to protect the electronics from power surges is equally if not more critical than in 4G networks. Due to their height and placement, macro sites on towers are vulnerable to damage from lightning strikes, and small cell sites are connected to the Power Grid where they are in danger from grid-side power surges. Any time electronic equipment is added in the field, industrial surge protection equipment must be in place to mitigate the risks of damage. The only logical thing to do to protect the investment is to integrate external industrial surge protection equipment into the infrastructure in a systematic way. While radio manufacturers do place surge protection into the radios this does no good if a lightning strike occurs. The overvoltage protection (OVP) must be placed in front of the radio. If a lightning surge enters a radio enclosure, it is already too late for that radio; it will be damaged beyond repair. And a tower climb to replace a radio and other equipment on a cell tower is expensive and renders the site useless for the time that it is offline. Lightning strikes cause power surges, and power surges cause damage to circuitry in 5G installations. Equipment that is interconnected to communicate is at risk because the lightning surge will flow from component to component if no industrial surge protection is installed. You may be able to isolate the strike damage, but if you cannot stop the flow of damaging electricity that can be coupled onto conductive cables even from a strike some distance away from the cell tower. By installing surge protection devices at well-engineered points, 4G/5G installations can be as protected from surge damage. This keeps them online and functioning longer, reducing operating expenses and enhancing the bottom line of companies investing in cellular communications networks