Full-spectrum, all-fiber DAS provides cost-effective in-building solution for the enterprise
The move from LTE to 5G encompasses many other important changes taking place in the telecoms industry. Licensed spectrum is being augmented with unlicensed and shared spectrum, virtualization is making networks more dynamic and cheaper to run, and major investments in fiber portend the present and future need for more dense, pervasive indoor and outdoor networks to serve operator and enterprise needs.
On the spectrum piece, operators in the U.S. are activating new bands, 600 MHz and 2.5 GHz, for instance, LTE is moving into the unlicensed 5 GHz band with carrier aggregation, and the FCC is considering rules to govern shared access to the 3.5 GHz Citizens Broadband Radio Service (CBRS) band. The 5G future–smart cities, self-driving cars, mobile virtual reality, etc…–is dependent on a wireless network supported by an increasingly fiber-deep wired network; this megatrend is supported by nine-figure, operator-led investments in building out the fiber plant. And, particularly as it relates to in-building wireless, enterprise buyers are shaping the way vendors design products and take them to market. Essentially, stagnating carrier spend is putting the burden of investing in in-building wireless systems onto enterprise decision-makers who need to know their capital will solve for immediate needs while continuing to drive ROI over time.
RCR Wireless News discussed the dynamic in-building space during Mobile World Congress 2018 with Zinwave, which launched an updated DAS targeted to the enterprise that is designed to cut its physical footprint up to 80% and power usage by 17%.
“We announced our next generation technology,” CEO Scott Willis said. “That’s really focused on evolving our platforms. It’s focused on creating a platform specifically for the enterprise segment of the market that gives them a platform they can grow from.”
Noting the hype around 5G, Willis said, “I think we’re still a ways off before 5G is realized in an indoor environment. The intent behind our platform is really two-fold: One is give a platform that allows the enterprise to evolve so the decision they make today is still a good decision three years down the road when 5G is fully realized. Two, it’s all about cost. What’s important to the enterprise is (lower) total cost of ownership.”
Check out this video interview with Willis and Zinwave CTO Slavko Djukic.
Zinwave’s UNItivity 5000 DAS consists of five components: the primary and secondary hubs, remote units, optical module and service module. The solution supports all cellular and public safety frequencies between 150 MHz and 2700 MHz on a single hardware layer; adding carriers and other new frequencies doesn’t require any on-site hardware updates. Fiber cabling can often leverage existing cabling infrastructure to cut deployment costs and speed operational timeframe.
Zinwave CTO, Slavko Djukic said considering long-term needs is a key consideration for enterprises looking to invest in in-building wireless. “There’s a lot of solutions out there and then it’s not always clear to the enterprise what is the best solution for them today as well as in the future. By having a very concise message out there that it’s an all-fiber, future-ready and full-spectrum platform that we offer, the enterprise gets peace of mind that all those aspects, that if they invest today in the platform, they will be good for many, many years to come.”
Click here to see Djukic give an overview of Zinwave’s DAS platform.
