The Radio (eNodeB/eNB)
Equipment Used
- Baicells Nova 233 (datasheet)
- Paired antenna: Alpha Wireless AW-3014-T4 (datasheet)
- Meant for long-range/outdoor deployment
- Baicells Nova 227 (datasheet)
- Meant for short-range/microcell
- Integrated antenna
Configuration
- eNB was configured per documentation from the Seattle Community Network (SCN)
- Because our controller/EPC will not be directly attached to the radio, we will configure the Baicells' WAN interface to be DHCP (see more about the NYC Mesh implementation here)
- The MME IP will always be 10.70.90.170 to use the Open5GS server at SN3, routed through the Mesh network
- Because the Google SAS product is paid software we are using the account from UW's local connectivity lab
- To sign configurations, a CPI License is still needed - otherwise we would have to ask another licensed CPI to sign the configuration any time a change is made (this is attached to a person, not an organization)
- The PLMN used by SCN (as we are using their SIM cards) is 91054
- Because our controller/EPC will not be directly attached to the radio, we will configure the Baicells' WAN interface to be DHCP (see more about the NYC Mesh implementation here)
Current Deployment
The Nova 233 and AW-3014-T4 installed on the East Mast of Vernon.
The estimated range for this deployment (sourced from Ubiquiti's UISP Design Center tool and generic 60° antenna parameters and their LIDAR info) and the configuration parameters for the SAS platform based on the real-world installation characteristics.
Details
- The Nova 233 is powered using a DC cable (crimped ToughCable) into a DC junction box inside the water tower, and plugged into the EP-S16
- No additional configuration was done to the router to support the LTE connectivity
- Baicells supports a mode called LGW, which allows the radio hardware to perform NAT and terminate LTE traffic locally, but this would then require per-hub configuration to support OSPF (out-of-scope at this time)