Westell Technologies Inc. has acquired Cellular Specialties Inc. for $39 million. CSI develops in-building wireless systems including distributed antenna systems (DAS) and small cell connectivity.
Rick Gilbert, chairman and CEO of Westell, called CSI a “great complement” to Westell’s portfolio for site solutions and “an ideal fit for our corporate growth strategy” in a statement. CSI earned about $37 million in revenues during 2013 and focuses on 3G and 4G cellular services, including its ClearLink line of low-PIM products for in-building DAS and small cells, as well as E911 and location-based solutions for wireless.
–Small cells were, as expected, a big draw at last week’s Mobile World Congres, with news ranging from collaborations on new products to backhaul solutions. Carriers are seeking to densify their networks, and the vendor ecosystem is kicking into high gear.
Radisys had a series of announcements, including the integration of its small cell software by Octasic, Inc. for the company’s OCTBTS platforms for small cells; the use of its software in small cells for China Mobile; and in small cell solutions for Korea telecom operator KT Corp.
Watch our interview with Todd Mersch of Radisys from Mobile World Congress:
—Boingo Wireless has launched HotSpot 2.0 technology at 21 airports in the U.S. The new networks called “Passpoint Secure” will enable users with a Passpoint-enabled device and a downloaded user profile to use the network without manual authentication. Boingo has already sent its subscribers an invitation to download their use profiles to access the HotSpot 2.0 networks — and the company added that the new networks are also available for Wi-Fi offload from wireless carrier’s networks.
—Aruba Networks has a system installed at the Emirates Palace hotel in Abu Dhabi and said that the location is the first hotel in the Middle East to deploy an 802.11ac Wi-Fi network. The hotel has more than 1,000 Aruba APs.
–Be sure to check out RCR’s video interviews from Mobile World Congress for more HetNet News, like this interview with Ruckus Wireless and takeaways on DAS, small cells and cloud RAN, plus a conversation with SpiderCloud Wireless’ Ronny Haraldsvik.
