Ericsson will launch its cellular radio to support demand to provide enough indoor network coverage. It will be unveiled by the end of next year.
Ericsson Radio Dot System addresses a range of scenarios for providing high-quality access to mobile broadband and voice services indoors.
Current indoor solutions are built mainly for voice coverage and do not meet the growing capacity demands of apps. Covering major parts of buildings has been challenging, for reasons such as high costs and limited scalability, Ericsson said.
The disk-shaped Ericsson Radio Dot System is compact offering flexible mounting. The device weighs 300 grams.
It introduces a revolutionary antenna element, or dot, which delivers mobile broadband access to users. Because of its convenient size, scalability, and compelling evolution path, this product caters to different kinds of users in medium to large indoor locations, and aims to address operators’ needs of offering a complete indoor solution.
Dots are connected and powered via standard internet LAN cables to indoor radio units that link to a base station.
“While the macro network and unlicensed small cells have been for the most part sufficient to cope with current usage models, the commitment levels are high for improving spectrum utilization in the licensed spectrum. It is no longer a question of whether licensed small cells will play a role – the question is more how and when,” said Stefan Pongratz, analyst with the Dell’Oro Group.
According to Dell’Oro Group report on small cell, NLOS and LOS microwave will account for more than 60 percent of all external backhaul deployments by 2017. Installed base of unlicensed small cells to account for nearly 90 percent of total small cell installed base by 2017. Licensed evolved (metro) small cells to account for two percent of total RAN revenues by 2015.
“Small cells are a key component of AT&T’s Project VIP network enhancement program as we seek to constantly improve our customers’ mobile Internet experience,” said Kris Rinne, senior pice president, Network and Product Planning, AT&T Services.
