Heterogenous Networks, or HetNets, are an increasingly important part of the wireless landscape in order to support denser networks and in-building coverage. RCR’s weekly HetNet News column includes the latest on distributed antenna systems (DAS), Wi-Fi and small cells.
—Athena Wireless is showcasing its smoke-detector-sized, Band 14-ready small cells at the International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE) this week in Las Vegas. Athena’s Pixie LTE small cells rely on a baseband processor from Cavium Inc. and Athena Wireless’ Phoeniz 80 GHz GigE backhaul link for “very fast, simple deployment and practically zero footprint,” according to the company. Each Pixie device can support up to 64 simultaneous uses.
Eduardo Tinoco, CEO of Athena Wireless, said that Pixie supports LTE Band 14 and is FirstNet ready, referring to the national broadband network being planned by the First Responders Network Authority. “LTE is vitally important in public safety communications – for example, delivering true broadband services from onsite such as video from emergency situations and for static monitoring / surveillance purposes. These complement existing narrowband channels,,” Tinoco said.
He went on to add that the Pixie units are “small, only about the size of a smoke detector, which is great for both ease of installation and for aesthetic reasons. You don’t have to make room for a big, ugly box to have LTE access.”
Athena also last week announced a precipitous drop in the cost for its backhaul products. Athena said that its Phoeniz 80 GHz backhaul link was initially priced at about $20,000 per link and is dropping to $6,995, or a 65% price reduction; the cost of Athena’s A060-Mini 60 GHz backhaul link has been reduced more than 60% as well, from about $16,000 to $5,995. AES encryption can be added to a link for $500. Tinoco said that the company has been able to streamline its manufacturing and other internal processes in order to make the price reductions.
—AT&T Inc. has installed a new distributed antenna system (DAS) at Plaza Las Americas Mall in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The DAS includes more than 30 antennas inside the shopping mall, which has more than 300 stores in a retail space covering 1.8 million square feet.
–The Cel-Fi signal booster from Nextivity Inc. is the first smart signal booster to be included in the iBwave Network Components Database. Michiel Lotter, CTO at Nextivity, called the inclusion “significant milestone in establishing Cel-Fi’s role in the enterprise space and expanding our market base.”
“Industry players around the globe turn to iBwave to configure their in-building coverage needs, from base stations and antenna systems to cabling and small cells,” he added.
—Commscope Holding Company Inc. has raised its guidance for sales and earnings due to demand for its macro site and DAS solutions.
–Italian Wi-Fi manufacturer Wi-Next has introduced a new low-power device for industrial Internet of Things applications. Its low-power SmartNode is designed for monitoring electrical consumption and operation of industrial machines in real time, using a Wi-Fi sensor mesh network; it can also automatically disconnect the machinery in the event of a power overload.
Nicola De Carne, Wi-Next’s CEO, said that the new node is the first in “a series of low-power Wi-Fi equipment designed for the creation of end nodes and peripheral sensors based on 802.11 technology that will make possible to provide sensors networks directly interconnected to network infrastructure with obvious implementation and economic advantages.”
—Gogo Inc., which provides in-flight Wi-Fi service, received its second permission from the Federal Aviation Administration to install its equipment on Airbus A330 aircraft as it outfits Delta’s fleet.
—Royal Caribbean International has invested in faster connectivity for vacationers on board its Oasis of the Seas and Allure of the Seas cruise ships. The company said that it has installed sophisticated antenna arrays from O3b Networks and is using medium-Earth-orbit satellites for connectivity when the ships are far beyond the reach of cell towers. The Wi-Fi enabled by the technology, according to the company, matches land-based services and will make it possible for guests to download streaming video or upload video clips for the first time. Pricing is still being developed, but Royal Caribbean is also promising “several new, show-stopper uses of the bandwidth” — although it’s leaving those uses, for now, a mystery.
