All-wireless small cells touted as plug and play for easy installation
Building classes of all types need indoor cellular connectivity whether it’s provided by DAS, small cells, boosters, whatever. Sensitivity to aesthetic concerns also comes with a range of end-user needs. An industrial warehouse, for instance, might not be as concerned about seeing typical wireless infrastructure, but a high-end hotel or retail space, on the other hand, would likely want to maintain a pleasing, put-together look.
With an eye on supporting the needs of hoteliers and their guests, Sprint today announced the “Hospitality Edition” of its Magic Box small cells, which are manufactured by Airspan Networks. The new units are described as having a “white faux-weave design on the sides and either a wood-grain or grass-like top for a more natural look.”
The Magic Box has made quite a splash since hitting the market. Earlier this year the product won the GSMA’s Global Mobile award for “Best Mobile Technology Breakthrough,” and followed that with winning the Small Cell Forum’s “Excellence in Commercial Deployment (Residential)” honor.
Sprint Chief Technology Officer John Saw, in a Thursday morning tweet, described the product as being “re-imagined for the hospitality industry” with the “same innovative technology increases download speeds and extends coverage in a more décor friendly design.” According to the company, the Magic Box can bump download and upload speeds by around 200% over an in-building coverage area of 30,000 square feet.
One of the key drives of Magic Box adoption is ease of installation. It’s an all wireless unit that’s effectively plug and play; whoever is deploying the unit, enterprise or residential, doesn’t have to worry about running cables or tuning after it’s live.
Following the Glomo win at Mobile World Congress, we caught up with Airspan’s Damiano Coletti, VP of Strategy and Marketing, to get more insight into how the vendor approaches small cell design and deployment. Check out that video interview below.
