2G Base Stations as a Form Factor and Power Budget Benchmark

In the meantime, customer expectations move on. Over the past 5 years, GSM base stations
have become smaller and smaller. Ericsson’s pico base station is one example,
taking the same amount of power as a lightbulb. Nokia’s in-site picocellular reduces
form factor further (an A4 footprint).
And even smaller GSM base station products are beginning to appear. The example
in Figure 11.2 weighs less than 2 kg and consumes less than 15 W of power.
The continuing reduction of the form factor of 2G base stations represents a challenge
for the 3G Node B designer. Vendors need to have a small Node B in the product
portfolio for in-building applications. The general consensus between designers is that
this should be a single 5 MHz RF carrier Node B weighing less than 30 kg, occupying
less than 30 liters. The example shown in Figure 11.3 meets these design requirements.
This is a pole-mounted transceiver and as such may be described as having no
footprint. It is convection cooled, consuming 500 W for a 10 W RF output and is 500
mm high.