The carrier said the small cell deployment is part of the an integrated energy-savings-as-a-service initiative
Sprint’s Sprint Magic Box small cell is slated for deployment in approximately 100 buildings in Pittsburgh, Penn., to provide connectivity for the nation’s first fully-integrated energy-savings-as-a-service initiative.
BOSS Controls, an IoT energy management company headquartered in Pittsburgh, has received an intent to award contract from the city. Under this project, the firm is collaborating with Sprint and the city’s Sustainability and Resilience Division, Facilities Bureau and the Department of Innovation and Performance and other companies to provide energy savings for city buildings.
The carrier highlighted that the Sprint Magic Box, which offers improved data coverage and increased download and upload speeds, and Sprint LTE modems with Wi-Fi, will connect BOSS Smart Plugs installed in the selected buildings. The BOSS Smart Plugs can be added to any electrical device, which could be scheduled to turn off when the buildings are unoccupied.
“This is a great example of how Sprint Magic Box is making a difference for our customers with a data connectivity solution that’s so simple to use,” said Scott Santi, Head of Network Deployment & Operations at Sprint. “We’re proud to play a part in launching this innovative program to increase energy efficiencies and lower costs with the City of Pittsburgh.”
Sprint Magic Box is a wireless small cell, which provides indoor coverage averaging up to 30,000 square feet. The small cell’s signal also extends data coverage to Sprint customers in nearby businesses. As part of its next-generation network investment, Sprint is currently densifying its network by deploying more small cells – including Sprint Magic Boxes – to improve coverage and speed for consumers and businesses in cities across the country.
The self-configuring, plug-and-play small cell solution uses an LTE UE relay, and is being deployed in consumer and enterprise use cases, Sprint said.
In May, Sprint said it had already deployed 200,000 Sprint Magic Boxes to businesses and consumers in approximately 200 cities. Sprint plans to deploy more than 1 million units as part of its multi-year roadmap.
Last year, Airspan Networks, a provider of LTE small cells and backhaul technologies which designed and manufactured the Magic Box, said the company was taking actions to scale production of this small cell solution in order to meet the increasing demand for the product,
The company’s Vice President of Strategy and Marketing Damiano Coletti had told RCR Wireless News that the firm aimed to reach a manufacturing capacity of 3,000 small cells a day by March this year.
