LAS VEGAS -- Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) said it will deploy 200 LED light poles from Ericsson (NASDAQ:ERIC) and Philips that will reduce power consumption and contain a high-power small cell that will help Verizon increase its coverage in the Los Angeles market.
The LED light poles, which were first announced at the 2014 Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, are a joint effort of Ericsson and Philips. Called Zero Site, the product combines a small cell with LED lighting. Zero Site can have multiple site configurations with all equipment contained inside the pole and underground. The site can support 2G, 4G and Wi-Fi.
According to Brian Mecum, vice president of West Coast network for Verizon, the company will deploy 200 light poles overall in the city, and the first light pole is deployed in West Hollywood.
Ericsson has also started to trial its Zero Site solution in Spain, with an installation in the city of Santander. The Santander LED pole is outfitted with LTE technology.
Ericsson said its Zero Site solution will help operators and utilities acquire and deploy sites in dense urban environments. In addition, the technology can be used to do many different things beyond expanding the local network, including acting as a car-charging station, a parking meter, an environmental sensor and as a surveillance device.
When combined with new LED street light technology, the Zero Site poles are expected to provide dramatic savings on energy expenditures for street lights. Public lighting can contribute as much as half of a city's electricity bill. Ericsson claims that its technology will save a city between 50 percent and 80 percent in lighting costs.
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