AlcaLu offers way to increase mobile capacity
05-02-2010
Can support 2G,3G and 4G technologies on one frequency
A new product from Alcatel-Lucent aims to let mobile operators serve more customers using their existing radio spectrum, by offering faster mobile broadband services such as HSPA and LTE on frequencies currently reserved for GSM. Using software-defined radio technology, it will simultaneously support multiple mobile network technologies on one frequency, enabling operators to continue to serve customers with older phones.
There are some non-technological obstacles to adoption of the technology. In India particular frequencies are reserved for particular technologies. In Europe too, radio spectrum was in the past licensed for use by a particular technology. Now regulators in several countries are considering allowing operators to roll out other technologies, including HSPA (High-Speed Packet Access) or LTE (Long Term Evolution), on spectrum currently licensed for GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications). One frequency band that is currently undergoing this process, called refarming, is 900MHz.
Delivering HSPA or LTE at 900MHz, which carries further than the higher frequencies generally used for those technologies, would result in better mobile broadband services in rural areas and improved indoor coverage compared to existing services, according to the GSM Association.
To make such changes, operators will need to replace existing radio modules with new ones able to support HSPA or LTE, and here is where Alcatel-Lucent's new Multi-carrier Transceiver (MC-TRX) radio module comes in.
A mobile operator can upgrade its base stations with the module, but continue to use the network for GSM in the 900MHz band or 1800MHz band, and then add support for HSPA or LTE when the local regulator permits it, according to Andre Mechaly, vice president for wireless networks strategy at Alcatel-Lucent. Since the module uses a software-defined radio, adding support for HSPA only involves changing the software configuration, he said.
To take advantage of the network improvements, users will need compatible modems and mobile phones, but because the module can handle HSPA and GSM simultaneously on the same frequency, those with older phones will still be able to use the old service. Other ways of upgrading the network tend to be all-or-nothing.
Alcatel-Lucent isn't the only vendor working on radio modules that can handle multiple technologies in one frequency band. Its competitors are also working on products, according to Sylvain Fabre, research director at Gartner's Carrier Network Infrastructure group.
Ericsson is waiting for a standard defining how to allow the radio technologies to coexist, and expects to release products in March, Hans Beijner, radio product marketing manager at Ericsson, said via e-mail.
Currently, operators are looking for additional spectrum in which they can offer mobile broadband to more users with better coverage and faster speeds. Refarming their existing spectrum holdings to use faster radio technologies will be an important part of that, according to Fabre.
The pressure is now on regulators to speed up the process, he said.
Some, including those in Finland, France, Malaysia and Tunisia, have already started the process, according to Mechaly. In Sweden, the allocation of the 900MHz band has become a matter for the courts.
Alcatel-Lucent's statement adds: Alcatel-Lucent today announced the introduction of a new radio module, based on software defined radio (SDR) technology, that gives mobile service providers the flexibility to support any mix of 2G GSM, 3G W-CDMA/HSPA+ and long term evolution (LTE) services simultaneously.
In addition to supporting new deployments today, this capability can be introduced in more than 700,000 Alcatel-Lucent base stations already deployed by service providers worldwide, offering a seamless, cost-effective way for operators to introduce the latest generation of technologies ? at their own pace ? while continuing to support their existing customers.
The new converged radio module, called the MC-TRX, is a key building block of Alcatel-Lucent's Converged RAN (radio access network) portfolio, which is geared toward increasing the capacity and the coverage of all networks while minimizing the overall total cost of ownership (TCO) for operators. This product is available for operators worldwide and has already been selected by tier 1 mobile service providers.
"With multiple spectrum options and technology options before them, operators need to make CapEx containment a priority as they plan their network launches" said Peter Jarich, Service Director with Current Analysis. "To that end, network infrastructure that supports spectrum and technology evolutions along with the carrier capacity to execute on these evolutions is a must"
With the explosion of mobile data traffic that is underway today, service providers face a variety of technical and operational challenges as they seek to increase their wireless network capacity and transform their networks toward end-to-end IP. This new converged radio module elegantly addresses these needs by giving mobile service providers the ability to "re-farm" their 900 or 1800 MHz spectrum ? currently used to provide 2G GSM services ? by introducing more advanced W-CDMA/HSPA+ or LTE services through simple software activation. This process can be managed dynamically ? if the majority of wireless subscribers on the network are using GSM, the module will be configured in GSM mode. As more subscribers move toward W-CDMA or LTE the module can shift the relative mix of technology to allocate more power and carriers to W-CDMA or LTE.
"Clearly, the success wireless network operators have had with data services is creating a requirement that they continually increase user throughput, and our latest innovations are helping them do exactly that" said Wim Sweldens, president of Alcatel-Lucent's Wireless Networks Product activities. "The new converged radio module lets customers evolve networks at their own pace while optimizing use of available spectrum ? by introducing more efficient technologies ? minimizing the total cost of ownership. Just as importantly, it enables operators to prepare for the kind of bandwidth demands generated by the growth of multimedia services, supported on a variety of all-IP networks"
This ultra-compact, easy-to-install converged radio module has the same form factor as the previous generations of TRX modules. This means that the new module can be implemented on all multi-standard base stations deployed by Alcatel-Lucent around the world since 1999, and is of course supported in all base stations sold today. In addition it supports any 3GPP (third generation partnership project) specification and complies with all local regulatory requirements.
The new converged radio module offers very high GSM capacity, supporting up to 2.5x the transceiver capacity per cabinet today to help operators address market densification requirements. The new converged radio module can be configured to maximize network coverage thus reducing the number of sites. It integrates advanced radio capabilities such as MIMO (multiple input/multiple output) to ensure the best performance when used in a W-CDMA/HSPA+ or LTE configuration. It also can address a range of spectrum configurations, supporting bandwidths of up to 20MHz, offering exceptional flexibility for deployments and maximum capacity to enable the introduction of LTE.
From IDG News Service and Alcatel-Lucent
A new product from Alcatel-Lucent aims to let mobile operators serve more customers using their existing radio spectrum, by offering faster mobile broadband services such as HSPA and LTE on frequencies currently reserved for GSM. Using software-defined radio technology, it will simultaneously support multiple mobile network technologies on one frequency, enabling operators to continue to serve customers with older phones.
There are some non-technological obstacles to adoption of the technology. In India particular frequencies are reserved for particular technologies. In Europe too, radio spectrum was in the past licensed for use by a particular technology. Now regulators in several countries are considering allowing operators to roll out other technologies, including HSPA (High-Speed Packet Access) or LTE (Long Term Evolution), on spectrum currently licensed for GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications). One frequency band that is currently undergoing this process, called refarming, is 900MHz.
Delivering HSPA or LTE at 900MHz, which carries further than the higher frequencies generally used for those technologies, would result in better mobile broadband services in rural areas and improved indoor coverage compared to existing services, according to the GSM Association.
To make such changes, operators will need to replace existing radio modules with new ones able to support HSPA or LTE, and here is where Alcatel-Lucent's new Multi-carrier Transceiver (MC-TRX) radio module comes in.
A mobile operator can upgrade its base stations with the module, but continue to use the network for GSM in the 900MHz band or 1800MHz band, and then add support for HSPA or LTE when the local regulator permits it, according to Andre Mechaly, vice president for wireless networks strategy at Alcatel-Lucent. Since the module uses a software-defined radio, adding support for HSPA only involves changing the software configuration, he said.
To take advantage of the network improvements, users will need compatible modems and mobile phones, but because the module can handle HSPA and GSM simultaneously on the same frequency, those with older phones will still be able to use the old service. Other ways of upgrading the network tend to be all-or-nothing.
Alcatel-Lucent isn't the only vendor working on radio modules that can handle multiple technologies in one frequency band. Its competitors are also working on products, according to Sylvain Fabre, research director at Gartner's Carrier Network Infrastructure group.
Ericsson is waiting for a standard defining how to allow the radio technologies to coexist, and expects to release products in March, Hans Beijner, radio product marketing manager at Ericsson, said via e-mail.
Currently, operators are looking for additional spectrum in which they can offer mobile broadband to more users with better coverage and faster speeds. Refarming their existing spectrum holdings to use faster radio technologies will be an important part of that, according to Fabre.
The pressure is now on regulators to speed up the process, he said.
Some, including those in Finland, France, Malaysia and Tunisia, have already started the process, according to Mechaly. In Sweden, the allocation of the 900MHz band has become a matter for the courts.
Alcatel-Lucent's statement adds: Alcatel-Lucent today announced the introduction of a new radio module, based on software defined radio (SDR) technology, that gives mobile service providers the flexibility to support any mix of 2G GSM, 3G W-CDMA/HSPA+ and long term evolution (LTE) services simultaneously.
In addition to supporting new deployments today, this capability can be introduced in more than 700,000 Alcatel-Lucent base stations already deployed by service providers worldwide, offering a seamless, cost-effective way for operators to introduce the latest generation of technologies ? at their own pace ? while continuing to support their existing customers.
The new converged radio module, called the MC-TRX, is a key building block of Alcatel-Lucent's Converged RAN (radio access network) portfolio, which is geared toward increasing the capacity and the coverage of all networks while minimizing the overall total cost of ownership (TCO) for operators. This product is available for operators worldwide and has already been selected by tier 1 mobile service providers.
"With multiple spectrum options and technology options before them, operators need to make CapEx containment a priority as they plan their network launches" said Peter Jarich, Service Director with Current Analysis. "To that end, network infrastructure that supports spectrum and technology evolutions along with the carrier capacity to execute on these evolutions is a must"
With the explosion of mobile data traffic that is underway today, service providers face a variety of technical and operational challenges as they seek to increase their wireless network capacity and transform their networks toward end-to-end IP. This new converged radio module elegantly addresses these needs by giving mobile service providers the ability to "re-farm" their 900 or 1800 MHz spectrum ? currently used to provide 2G GSM services ? by introducing more advanced W-CDMA/HSPA+ or LTE services through simple software activation. This process can be managed dynamically ? if the majority of wireless subscribers on the network are using GSM, the module will be configured in GSM mode. As more subscribers move toward W-CDMA or LTE the module can shift the relative mix of technology to allocate more power and carriers to W-CDMA or LTE.
"Clearly, the success wireless network operators have had with data services is creating a requirement that they continually increase user throughput, and our latest innovations are helping them do exactly that" said Wim Sweldens, president of Alcatel-Lucent's Wireless Networks Product activities. "The new converged radio module lets customers evolve networks at their own pace while optimizing use of available spectrum ? by introducing more efficient technologies ? minimizing the total cost of ownership. Just as importantly, it enables operators to prepare for the kind of bandwidth demands generated by the growth of multimedia services, supported on a variety of all-IP networks"
This ultra-compact, easy-to-install converged radio module has the same form factor as the previous generations of TRX modules. This means that the new module can be implemented on all multi-standard base stations deployed by Alcatel-Lucent around the world since 1999, and is of course supported in all base stations sold today. In addition it supports any 3GPP (third generation partnership project) specification and complies with all local regulatory requirements.
The new converged radio module offers very high GSM capacity, supporting up to 2.5x the transceiver capacity per cabinet today to help operators address market densification requirements. The new converged radio module can be configured to maximize network coverage thus reducing the number of sites. It integrates advanced radio capabilities such as MIMO (multiple input/multiple output) to ensure the best performance when used in a W-CDMA/HSPA+ or LTE configuration. It also can address a range of spectrum configurations, supporting bandwidths of up to 20MHz, offering exceptional flexibility for deployments and maximum capacity to enable the introduction of LTE.
From IDG News Service and Alcatel-Lucent
