Vodafone tests AI-controlled robotic mast in Tirana

TL;DR: Vodafone is testing an AI-controlled mobile mast in Tirana, Albania, that uses a robotic arm from Humax Networks to rotate or tilt a 4G and 5G radio antenna based on network demand and local conditions. Vodafone said the antenna adjustment process takes about 20 to 30 minutes, compared with manual reconfiguration that can take days or weeks.

Vodafone is testing an AI-controlled mobile mast in Tirana, Albania, that automatically adjusts a 4G and 5G radio antenna using a robotic arm. Vodafone said its AI algorithm analyses network demand and local conditions, then instructs an autonomous robotic arm supplied by South Korean vendor Humax Networks to rotate or tilt the antenna.

The trial site overlooks a shopping centre in Tirana, where Vodafone said the system shifts coverage between commercial and residential areas as usage changes during the day. Vodafone said the system can also adapt coverage to environmental conditions, directing more signal outdoors in good weather and strengthening indoor coverage in poor weather, and can respond to local traffic congestion by repositioning antennas at multiple sites before demand peaks.

Vodafone said each antenna adjustment takes about 20 to 30 minutes to optimise energy efficiency. The operator said manual antenna reconfiguration can take days or weeks and may require planning permissions, site access, road closures, and physical engineering work. Vodafone said future versions will adjust internal antenna components instead of moving the whole unit, and described the trial as part of its broader effort to automate the radio access network, or RAN, which connects devices to the mobile network.

Related questions

• Where is Vodafone testing its AI-controlled robotic mast?
• Which company supplies the robotic arm used in Vodafone's trial?
• How long does Vodafone say an automated antenna adjustment takes?
• What part of the mobile network does Vodafone say this trial aims to automate?