By Telecom Lead Team: AirHop Communications, a provider
of radio access network (RAN) intelligence solutions, is collaborating with
Airspan Networks, a provider of broadband wireless access networks, to offer
LTE heterogeneous networks (HetNet) solution integrating LTE RAN technology,
network management systems and self-organizing network (SON) software.
Airspan expects the solution to be commercially available
in Q2 2012.
The new offering enables network operators, public safety
networks, enterprise networks and metro cell networks to add these small cells
to boost bandwidth and extend their LTE macrocell networks, creating HetNets
that will address the issues of coverage and capacity with the inter-cell
interference.
SON software is the auto configuring and optimizing
component within the network that allows for seamless operation in a
multi-vendor, multi-layer topology. Implementing AirHop’s eSON suite into our
products has assisted us in realizing our goal of providing operators with an
LTE solution that maximizes on capacity and coverage and helps cut costs,” said
Paul Senior, Airspan chief technical officer.
The solution consists of Airspan’s Air4G and AirSynergy
multi-platform 4G base stations integrated with AirHop’s eSON Suite Release 1.0
advanced SON software. The Airspan eSON-enabled solution can be implemented in
a number of network deployment scenarios, including distributed eNodeB
architectures in autonomous mode or in coordinated mode via an X2 interface,
and also in hybrid architecture (eNodeB + SON server).
The first wave of LTE deployment has arrived, and
networks have already experienced congestion and outages. The problem will only
worsen as more planned and unplanned base stations are deployed and LTE
networks will not be able to provide promised capacity unless small cells are
actively managed in a real-time manner. Airspan is taking a leadership role in
ensuring that eSON, the industry’s only advanced RAN intelligent software, is
integrated into its HetNet solution to solve this issue,” said Yan Hui, CEO of
AirHop.
