INWIT, a provider of neutral host services in Italy, has selected CommScope to deploy C-RAN antenna system for multi-operator projects at venues.
Hickory, North Carolina-based CommScope will be presenting its advanced in-building wireless solutions at the Mobile World Congress (MWC 2019) in Barcelona this month to attract customers from enterprises and mobile operators.
INWIT, which installs and operates in-building wireless solutions for enterprises and public venues, will use CommScope Era, a digital C-RAN antenna system. The Fortezza da Basso Conference Center and the Congress Palace, both in Florence, will be the target venues.
CommScope, Corning, Cobham Wireless, Comba Telecom, American Tower, JMA Wireless and Boingo are the major technology vendors in the Distributed Antenna System (DAS) market in Europe.
INWIT CEO Giovanni Ferigo believes that the company’s neutral host business model allows mobile operators to optimize their investments by sharing network infrastructure. Database provider Statista says Italy has operators such as TIM, Vodafone, Wind, among others. Mobile operators in Italy are in the process of making investment in 5G networks to boost capacity and speed.
The tie-up with CommScope will enable INWIT to bring down cost in in-building wireless by providing one shared infrastructure that can support all operators at all venues.
INWIT will benefit from Era’s software-centric architecture and its ability to flexibly allocate mobile capacity from a small footprint. This brings cost optimization in delivering in-building wireless services when compared with traditional distributed antenna systems (DAS).
Era features a direct CPRI interface to Nokia baseband units (BBUs) and a family of remotes ranging in power from 60 milliwatts to 20 watts, to support any building structure and its adjacent outdoor spaces.
Era has a multiplexed fiber fronthaul architecture that supports LTE and 3G services and can be used for 5G in the future.
Samuel Buttarelli, vice president of DAS and small cells, CommScope, said: “INWIT is responding to operators’ needs for options that will make in-building wireless more affordable for building owners and commercial real estate companies.”
Baburajan K
