Ericsson unveiled two antenna-integrated radio (AIR) products targeting operators undertaking mid-band 5G rollouts, systems integrating technology acquired as part of its purchase of Kathrein’s antenna and filter business in 2019.

In a statement, the vendor said the newly-available Hybrid AIR and Interleaved AIR would enhance its 5G platform and allow customers to deploy services using mid-band spectrum on existing sites without expanding their physical footprint.

The product, it noted, was designed to allow operators to deploy the technology faster and on a wider scale than alternatives.

It added the use of assets acquired from Kathrein allowed it to provide antenna-integrated radios and multiband passive antenna technology in one physical unit.

Ericsson head of product area Networks Per Narvinger said: “At some network sites, size literally is everything. Communications service providers globally often have limited possibilities to increase the space occupied by network equipment. They need solutions that fit in existing sites and still provide great performance.”

The development and design of Ericsson’s new kit was performed in collaboration with Swisscom and Vodafone Group.