CORNING, N.Y. -- Corning Incorporated (NYSE:GLW) and EnerSys (NYSE:ENS) today announced a strategic collaboration to speed 5G deployment by simplifying the delivery of fiber and electrical power to small-cell wireless sites.

The collaboration will leverage Corning's industry-leading fiber, cable, and connectivity expertise and EnerSys’ technology leadership in remote powering solutions. The companies are working to solve infrastructure challenges in the deployment of 5G and small cells in outside plant networks.

Corning and EnerSys will focus on two types of challenges facing wireless service providers and network architects in the deployment of outdoor small cells: electrical power and fiber connectivity. Power is often assumed to be available when and where needed, but, in reality, connections to small-cell sites from the electrical grid are not always readily available – increasing deployment costs and delaying network activation. Meanwhile, small cell locations that optimize signal coverage may not align well with the fiber pathways that provide the necessary backhaul. Identifying easily placed fiber access points and the pathway to reach them is key to avoiding costly delays.

The Corning and EnerSys collaboration will accelerate the development of solutions to deliver distributed powering and optical connectivity, helping telecommunications operators ultimately move toward routine deployment of 5G.

“The deployment scale of 5G small cells is placing significant pressure on utilities to provide power at each location, delaying service availability,” said Michael O’Day, vice president, Corning Optical Communications. “Corning and EnerSys will focus on simplifying deployment by bringing together the delivery of optical connectivity and power distribution – making installation faster and less costly and providing much lower operational costs over time. Corning continues to view 5G as a major driver of long-term growth in the Optical Communications business, so we’re proud to continue co-innovating with industry leaders to help accelerate 5G deployment.”

“To realize its full potential, 5G deployment needs to become efficient and predictable. Our collaboration with Corning is aimed at simplifying the powering process and fiber connectivity to fast-forward deployment,” said Drew Zogby, president, EnerSys Energy Systems Global. “The output of this collaboration will minimize logistics with power utilities, reduce the amount of time for permitting and siting, simplify fiber connectivity, and lower the overall cost of installation and deployment.”