Imagine if a window could help connect people

Imagine if it can become a part of the mobile broadband highway?

We live in a world of glass. Be it houses, offices, shopping malls or vehicles, there are glass windows everywhere, connecting us to the world outside. Think about what could happen if windows were also a part of our networked life. Imagine the possibilities when today’s ordinary windows became part of the high-speed mobile broadband highway, connecting us to our social network wherever we are. Imagine a future in India where simple windows can bring people closer.

Here is a sneak peak from Ericsson’s findings.

Both practically and theoretically, windows are one exciting way to deliver mobile connectivity

When taking public transportation to work, the commuting time is the time when users wish to get a superb surfing experience. Fast connectivity is essential for them to check mails, complete office related tasks, and de-stress with social and entertainment related apps. This year at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), Ericsson for the first time showcased how by using a transparent antenna, an ordinary window could easily become part of the mobile broadband network, boosting indoor coverage for a great mobile experience. Ericsson offered a sneak peek into ‘Window of Opportunity’, an exploration project which illustrates what happens when ordinary windows inside buildings or in buses are connected and act as connectors. Window is used as a platform for communication, as well as expanding the scope of usage of one of the world’s most common construction elements (glass). The commute to work becomes an effective, extended office or a haven where commuters can unwind with entertainment.

One key challenge that operators are facing today is providing quality mobile experience amidst the limited spectrum and building sites that blend into the city landscape. This concept can facilitate judicious use of spectrum as windows are created using smaller cells. Connected windows are an addition to a ubiquitous building feature that would enable operators to provide indoor coverage from the outside. This would simplify maintenance for indoor coverage. The efficient usage of spectrum over an increasingly denser deployment of mobile network equipment serves the overall purpose of delivering high-speed, low-latency quality of experience to users.

Connected windows also offer a spectrum of new and exciting opportunities for people, business and society. The applications include surfing on buses, automating window blinds, and cloud control for ventilation, lights, and other household appliances. For us as individuals, it could improve our mobile communication experience and connectivity, both indoors and on public transportation. Beyond setting off an alarm if it gets broken, the connected window gets smart and offers detailed positioning, which can be crucial in emergency situations. It could also be used for interaction, display, to control light and as a smart whiteboard that captures what was written and emails the notes to the user. By connecting and blending different enabling technologies together, new business opportunities occur. For instance, the transparent antenna is monitored from the network and it will be observed if the antenna is taken out of operation (e.g. by a burglar smashing the window). This simple case indicates a combination of telecom and real-estate security operations.

The concept is also efficient from sustainability perspective. Connected windows can save energy by becoming opaque and reducing the need for cooling. Less need for energy thus result in reduced emissions. When used with transparent solar cells, windows can be even used for production of electricity, to power its own uses and deliver excess energy into the smart-grid.

Window of Opportunity is our initiative to connect people and devices and bring Networked Society to life, where anything that benefits from being connected will be connected. Networked Society will fundamentally change the way we innovate, collaborate, produce, govern and achieve sustainability. Ericsson envisions that by 2020, there will be more than 50 billion connected devices. The concept clearly indicates pathways to blend mobile communication with other services like energy production and control, alarms, interaction with humans and so on.