The strange-looking Ultra Node antenna could connect you to 5G one day

We all know that 5G is coming, and could be here as soon as 2020, but the question on some minds will be how the infrastructure is going to adapt to allow people to connect to the next generation mobile networks. Behold, a solution in the form of Huawei’s Ultra Node antenna.

Huawei is currently pioneering the base technology that will bring 5G to the masses, showing off the antenna to TechRadar at it’s Shenzen campus. The company is hoping that the Ultra Node could be rolling out to rooftops and lampposts within the next ten years.

At the moment there are no set guidelines for what officially classifies as ‘5G’ (though Ofcom is currently working on that), but it is expected that it could see download speeds of up to 10Gbps. That’s better than any home broadband network currently available.

TechRadar didn’t mention any specific information about how Ultra Node antennae will be installed, though that’s likely because Huawei didn’t say. But Ultra Node is a lot smaller and compact than the 4G antennae used by networks, so it’s possible that they could be easier and quicker to install. That is, of course, assuming that they’re cost effective and have adequate signal range.

Here’s hoping, because that means networks would have no excuse for not ensuring the entire country gets coverage.