an ericsson traffic light post envisioned in new york, design by thomas sandell exclusive preview for designboom’s readers – image courtesy sandell/sandberg

at the GSMA mobile world congress 2011 in barcelona, wireless communications company ericsson invited visitors to experience a journey as seen through the eyes of consumers: user experiences through stories that illustrate different user scenarios and show you how this understanding can be transformed into business opportunities and operator growth and how innovative technology can make these visions a reality. during the conference, keynote speaker hans vestberg, president and CEO of ericsson offered attendees a view into the future of mobile and how mobile is transforming the way the world lives and works. designboom reports.

ericsson information stands by sandell sandberg the system parts combined into workable, innovative consumer solutions for the modern city dweller – combined into a meeting point,  a bin / lamppost, an information stand, a parking / electrical charging stand and a traffic light post, design by thomas sandell. exclusive preview for designboom’s readers – image courtesy sandell/sandberg

continuous advancement of the internet and machine-to-machine (M2M) technology over mobile broadband means that traditional telecoms companies have entered the traditional ICT sector – and vice versa. all the speakers agreed that the future would include more, not fewer, collaborations and partnerships. in short, there is widespread recognition of the need to work together in the rapidly evolving telecommunications ecosystem. the network itself would be a key differentiator for operators in a transformative society. to make this networked society a reality, vestberg said the entire value chain – networks, applications and devices – needs to work in synch with other industries to ensure a seamless user experience.

‘you need to think about how to combine things. the real potential lies in apps for enterprises and in industries like health, power and logistics.’ hans vestberg

ericsson information stands by sandell sandberg top parts exclusive preview for designboom’s readers – image courtesy sandell/sandberg

ericsson usually deals in products meant to be unseen, it has taken a different approach with its new information stands and designed a new broadband base station that is meant to be seen without standing out. with the swedish architect thomas sandell ericsson has presented a series of prototypes of possible shapes of information masts.  they obviously act as telecom towers, and could mean a revolution in the architecture of our cities around the world: prefabricated and light to transport, and because of their reduced height, enhanced transparency and the high-tech  look- these stands could mean a whole new element to the (city)landscape.

ericsson information stands by sandell sandberg the system configuration consists of bottom parts, middle parts and top parts. antennas placed within top parts. exclusive preview for designboom’s readers – image courtesy sandell/sandberg

ericsson information stands by sandell sandberg ericsson information stands by sandell sandbergeven though mobile broadband coverage is in increased demand, property owners and communities are often less than thrilled to have cell towers erected near their homes and places of business. companies have tried to make the giant towers less obtrusive by hiding them in fake foliage, or in creative architecture, and in urban areas, they’re frequently put up wherever there is free space. ericsson has devised an all-in-one mobile broadband tower that can be set up in less than 24 hours which is designed to be either as noticeable or as un-noticeable as its surroundings demand. the system parts combined into workable, innovative consumer solutions for the modern city dweller and can be combined into a meeting point, a bin / lamppost, an information stand, a parking / electrical charging stand and a traffic light post. the interface between each group of parts is generic, meaning in theory, the top parts could be assembled onto bottom parts if so desired.

ericsson information stands by sandell sandberg crosspollinating consumer solutions exclusive preview for designboom’s readers – image courtesy sandell/sandberg

ericsson information stands by sandell sandberg ericsson information stand

the information stand contains consumer services such as GPS positioning, taxi ordering, emergency services, public transport, entertainment and any other valuable service for the local community in a city.

ericsson information stands by sandell sandberg exclusive preview for designboom’s readers – image courtesy sandell/sandberg

ericsson information stands by sandell sandberg parking/charging stand exclusive preview for designboom’s readers – image courtesy sandell/sandberg

the parking/charging stand cross pollinates two services, parking and electrical charging. the idea being that you can park and charge your car, while you eat out.

ericsson information stands by sandell sandberg exclusive preview for designboom’s readers – image courtesy sandell/sandberg

ericsson information stands by sandell sandberg exclusive preview for designboom’s readers – image courtesy sandell/sandberg

thomas sandell was born in 1959 at jacobstad in finland. he received his masters of architecture at the royal institute of technology in stockholm in 1990. sandellsandberg was founded in 1995 by thomas sandell, ulf sandberg and joakim uebel. as one of the first practices in sweden fusing architecture, design and advertising, sandellsandberg challenged the conventional design business model. the practice currently has 30 employees and is established as one of sweden’s most renowned offices.