Welcome to RCR Wireless News’ weekly look at the heterogeneous networks (hetnet) landscape. RCR Wireless News technology reporter Kelly Hill will be keeping you up on the latest announcements, trends and developments in Wi-Fi, distributed antenna systems and small cells as mobile evolves toward hetnet deployments.
Recapping its 2012 network investments, AT&T said that it installed LTE-capable DAS systems in four cities. In Milwaukee, DAS coverage was extended at General Mitchell International Airport, Brookfield Square Mall and the city’s ballpark. In Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, AT&T said it installed systems in several area arenas, airports, hospitals and hotels. The carrier also installed DAS at the Detroit Marriott. The carrier said that its statistics on keeping calls connected in Milwaukee was 40% better in the fourth quarter of 2012 than in the same period in 2011, and that it kept 99% of calls in Washington connected between October and December.
The network investments are part of a three-year plan that the company has dubbed Project Velocity IP. On the wireless side, this means deploying more than 10,000 macro sites, more than 1,000 DAS projects and more than 40,000 small cells.
–Wi-Fi provider Boingo Wireless said that it is in the process of acquiring Endeka, which provides commercial Wi-Fi, VoIP and IPTV services on military bases and federal law enforcement training facilities. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Endeka will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Boingo.
“Endeka’s military specialization focuses on large populations of enlisted men and women who are Internet-hungry users and are clamoring for high-quality broadband,” said David Hagan, Boingo’s president and CEO. “Their portfolio of venues and management team are natural additions to our managed network business.”
Boingo also announced an agreement with NTT Broadband Platform to operate Wi-Fi services for five airports in Japan, and said that it will be the first and only international Wi-Fi provider at three busy airports in Germany: Berlin-Tegel, Stuttgart and Nuremberg. Service will launch in Germany this spring.
RCR Wireless News’ Jeff Mucci spoke with Christian Gunning of Boingo during Mobile World Congress, take a look:
— Also in Germany, Wi-Fi provider Fon and Deutsche Telekom announced today that they will partner to build the country’s largest Wi-Fi network, which they plan to launch this summer under the name WLAN To Go. DT has a network of more than 12,000 hotspots in Germany, and Fon has over 7 million, spread across more than 100 countries. Deutsche Telekom CEO Rene Obermann said his company wants to provide WLAN To Go at more than 2.5 million additional hotspots in Germany by 2016. The network will operate as a combination of shared and private networks according to Fon’s business model: DT broadband subscribers will sign up for Fon service in order to access Fon’s network of hotspots, and they will have to share the unused capacity of their Internet connection with other users.
–Unified communications provider Enterasys Networks, which is part of Siemens Enterprise Communications, said that its wireless business was up by 75% in fiscal 2012, driven by demand in healthcare. One of the company’s big projects last year was to provide Wi-Fi and VoIP device support for Henry Ford Health System, involving coverage for more than 7 million square feet and several thousand devices. It also announced a new bring-your-own-device solution designed for healthcare providers.
–DAS provider TE Connectivity has systems being deployed on nine new U.S.-based cruise ships, the company said. Maritime Communications Partner already has DAS by TE Connectivity deployed on dozens of ships, according to MCP, and it is considering upgrading to 3G and LTE services for passengers and crews at sea.
— Wrapping up a couple more Wi-Fi announcements from Mobile World Congress: we had Cisco touting the first carrier-grade Wi-Fi infrastructure for Hotspot 2.0 technology, enabling cellular-like roaming for Wi-Fi networks. The company said it is already working with carriers including BT, Portugal Telecom, Shaw Communications and PCCW Mobile in Hong Kong; PCCW said that it has already completed a successful trial of Next Generation Hotspot (NGH) technology in collaboration with Cisco.
Cisco says its new Small Cell Gateway will enable operators to integrate 2G/3G/LTE and femtocell networks using licensed spectrum with Wi-Fi unlicensed networks for a seamless experience. John Chambers, Cisco’s chaiman and CEO, went so far as to say that the industry is “now entering the post-macrocell era.”
