Vodafone, in cooperation with Lime Microsystems, showcased at MWC the second generation of its miniature 5G base station, which operates on a credit card-sized Raspberry Pi computer, thus making it possibly the smallest 5G station in the world. This will enable SMEs that do not have large IT departments to quickly and easily set up their own, secure 5G mobile networks in the future. Lime Microsystems plans to commercialize the 5G solution in the first half of 2024.
One of the new features of the mini base station is the ability to set up and maintain it remotely, without needing any prior domain knowledge. In addition, the device now has a modular design and can optionally be operated with a battery that lasts up to ten hours. This means that the small 5G station can also be used in disaster areas, or places that are difficult to access.
The base station combines a Raspberry Pi 4 with a small, 5G-compatible software-defined radio (SDR) board made by Lime Microsystems. This SDR board can turn any computer platform into a small 5G base station. The design of the card is fully compliant with Open Radio Access Network (RAN) standards. The concept was developed at Vodafone's European research and development center in Málaga.
