JCDecaux SA (Euronext Paris: DEC), the number one outdoor advertising company worldwide, announced that JCDecaux Link, its connectivity division, has received the “Excellence in Commercial Deployment” award (urban deployments category) at the Small Cell Forum.
JCDecaux has been awarded for the development and deployment of its small cells integration solution for the advertising light boxes used in street furniture. This solution, which enables up to four small cells to be installed per item, is aimed at meeting the needs of mobile operators and cities with 4G (soon to be 5G) densification.
This project, developed for all designs of JCDecaux’s bus shelters and CIPs, represents considerable progress compared with the first deployments in Amsterdam in 2014. Up to four small cells, compared to only one previously, can now be installed in street furniture, and in a more discreet and aesthetic manner.
The jury highlighted the ingenuity of the solutions for integrating small cells into existing street furniture, unseen by pedestrians, as well as their functional and aesthetic qualities.
This award, along with the result of tests carried out recently in France with the ANFR (National Frequency Agency), are effective illustrations of the potential uses for small cells installed in street furniture, both from an aesthetic and a functional standpoint. Furthermore, the ANFR tests confirm that small cells have a limited contribution to Electro Magnetic Field (EMF) exposure while increasing download speeds by a factor of between 6 and 20, and their short distance from users allows smartphones to work at very low power (factor between 2 and 5), thereby limiting EMF exposure and increasing battery life.
Jean-François Decaux, Chairman of the Executive Board and Co-CEO of JCDecaux, said: “We are very proud to have received the “Excellence in Commercial Deployment” award for urban small cells. After having received an award at the 2015 Small Cell World Summit, this second prize further underlines the expertise of our teams in the aesthetic and functional integration of small cells into our street furniture, aimed at providing cities and telecoms operators with an efficient and comprehensive solution that is in tune with the urban environment. Our success is based on an ambitious Research and Development policy and the unique innovation capacity of JCDecaux Link. This recognition gives us even more energy and creativity to provide cities and mobile operators with innovative and accessible solutions for the greater benefit of mobile citizens.”