RCR Mobile Minute: Wi-Fi hotspot lending

RCR Mobile Minute
DALLAS – Airvana has developed a small cell system that it says can support multiple wireless operators. The company discussed its solution this week at Small Cells America, saying it supports all major LTE bands and can be installed and maintained for a fraction of the cost of a distributed antenna system.
Josh Adelson, Airvana’s director of product marketing, said the company is in discussions with neutral-host providers who plan to invest in the solution and lease connectivity to carriers. Airvana also hopes to sell the small cell systems to carriers who will then lease connectivity to other operators, a model similar to carrier-led neutral host DAS. Enterprises that need better coverage may also buy the solution directly, Airvana said.
In an effort to reduce interference, Airvana has moved baseband processing out of the radio units and into a baseband controller that can manage up to 32 radio units. The company says these “low-function” radio units are compact enough to fit into a “toaster-sized” enclosure that can hold up to four different radio point modules to support up to four operators.
To date, carriers have found that indoor small cells have been a tough sell for some enterprise customers familiar with Wi-Fi and neutral host DAS. A small cell solution that behaves more like a neutral host DAS could generate a lot of enterprise interest, because small cells often scale more easily than DAS and can be less expensive.
Airvana says the cost of its solution will be far lower than that of a DAS, primarily because Cat5e can be used instead of coaxial cable. The company has produced cost-estimate research in partnership with Real Wireless, and claims that passive infrastructure costs and labor costs will be roughly 90% lower for operators installing its small system in place of a DAS. When four operators are supported, the company says its system will cost about 30% less than a DAS. Airvana also projects significantly lower operating costs due to the system’s remote serviceability and modest power budget.
The Mobile Minute is sponsored by Juniper Networks