Ericsson and PowerLight teamed up to develop the first wireless-powered 5G base station, using optical beaming to convert electricity into high-intensity light.
The system captures and transforms high-intensity light to electricity at the radio base station, without wires connected to the site from a power grid network and no on-site power generation used.
Both companies see this development as a stepping stone towards a new method of transmitting kilowatts of energy over long distances.
Claes Olsson, executive chairman, PowerlLight Technologies, commented: “Most people are aware that wireless charging technology is available today for small electronic devices, such as cell phones and watches. This breakthrough demonstration, which utilised the best innovative technology from PowerLight and Ericsson, underscores the major leaps we have made recently toward the commercialisation of safe, wireless power transmission for larger-scale systems. PowerLight is developing systems today to transfer kilowatts of safe power over distances of kilometres that will be commercially available in the next few years.”