Connectivity for homes in rural area with EE
The Challenge
Thousands of homes in rural areas suffer from extremely slow internet speeds and without the option of fibre there didn’t seem much that could be done.
EE needed to find a way to provide these homes with high-speed reliable connectivity through a 4G solution that could easily be deployed to thousands of different homes and be easily installed on site.
They needed a durable, high gain directional 4G antenna to give these homes the connectivity they required and provide high-speed internet access.
The Antenna
The WMM8G-7-27 antenna is a high gain directional 2×2 MIMO signal-boost- ing antenna for 3G and 4G networks.
With 6dBi of peak gain at 698-960MHz and 9dBi peak gain at 1710-2700MHz the WMM8G-7-27 provides extra gain for next generation networks.
The rugged, weather resistant housing is designed for wall mounting and wall and mast mount brackets are provided. Sup-plied with fitted low loss double shielded cable the WMM8G-7-27 minimises exposed connector joints and simplifies cable management for easy installation.
The Client
EE is a British Telecommunications company and a part of the BT Group. It is the largest mobile network operator in the UK and is also as an internetservice provider.
They launched their 4G network in 2012 and aim to have a geo- graphic 4G coverage of the UK of 95% by 2020.
EE plans to build 450 new sites across the country to give 4G access to more people. Their current goal is to be able to pro- vide coverage to 99.8% of the population.
The Solution
Nicknamed the “shoebox” antenna the WMM8G-7-27 has been successfully tested in homes in Cumbria and have proven to be able to provide a high-speed internet connection to rural homes. The antenna is available for EE’s customers to buy and provide their homes with a high-speed connection of up to 100Mbps.
It is estimated that this may be able to provide a solution to the 600,000 homes with poor fixed line internet connections or no inter- net connection at all across the UK.
The WMM8G-7-27 is the perfect antenna for this applica- tion as it is extremely durable and weather resistant allowing the antenna to be mounted on the outside of homes. This reduces the interference from buildings and allowing it to bedirected precisely towards the nearest EE mast.
It is also able to provide strong and reliable 4G connectivity with a high peak gain of 9dBi. This enables a powerful inter- net connection for thousands of homes across the UK.