Next Generation Communications Blog

Small Cells

Optimizing LTE Network Performance with SON and Extended SON

By Beecher Tuttle

The widespread use of smartphones, tablet computers and other Web-enabled mobile devices has caused wireless data services to explode. While this is good news for application developers and mobile device manufacturers, it presents several challenges for service providers whose networks see more bandwidth-hungry traffic each day.

This concern is compounded by the fact that the increase in traffic is surpassing the growth rate for wireless revenue. To survive, service providers need to decrease their cost per bit while simultaneously optimizing their LTE network to handle more traffic....

Small Cells Technology Fuels New Consumer Market Opportunities

By Erin Harrison

By now, you have probably heard about and read the hype about small cells technology – tiny indoor cellular base stations installed in a household that connect the fixed broadband network to mobile devices within the residence. By increasing service quality and connection speeds indoors, small cells can improve voice calls and provide faster, more reliable data connections and coverage.

Small cells are low-powered radio access points that improve indoor and outdoor coverage to increase capacity and offload traffic – as much as 80 percent during peak times. Alcatel-Lucent, one of the leading femtocell companies, offers the 9360 portfolio of small cells.

According to Alcatel-Lucent research findings from five countries across North America, Europe and Asia, the small cells marketplace in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Singapore and Taiwan will be worth €6.1 billion in total by 2014, with over 34 million subscribers predominantly using unlimited voice, video calling and SMS services.  The findings are highlighted in Alcatel-Lucent’s whitepaper titled, “Small Cells Technology Fuels New Consumer Market Opportunities.”

Small Cell Technology Solutions Help Wireless Service Providers Succeed in Challenging Market

By Mae Kowalke

Wireless service providers today are going through a transformative, challenging period in their evolution. Increasing demands for bandwidth and quality of service are driving the need to transform from 3G networks to LTE. In the midst of this transformation, existing architecture must be maintained and leveraged to its fullest ability.

More and more providers are turning to metro cells as a way of extending life for 3G networks and serving low-density areas where wireless coverage would not otherwise be economically viable.

“Metro cells offer a valuable option for solving some of today’s most pressing wireless network problems,” said Nikolas Olaziregi, Alcatel-Lucent’s Corporate CTO Technology Strategy Advisor, in a recent TechZine article, "Metro Cells are In Sight." “They can provide performance and capacity uplift where needed, almost overnight, while lessening the obstacles associated with macro cell site acquisition.”

In the article, Olaziregi defines a metro cell as “an operator owned and managed wireless access node, using licensed spectrum and providing open access.”

Metro cells are a low cost option for better coverage and capacity in a targeted area. They are easy to deploy, and because they have low emissions are less subject to regulation than macro cell sites. When utilized strategically, metro cells can help reduce a network’s total cost of ownership (TCO).

The key with small cell technology is to understand how such solutions can fit into the larger network.










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