ip.access Reveals Strategy for Maiden LTE Small Cell

ip.access recently announced that it plans to manufacture its maiden small cell which will incorporate LTE and 3G. US chip maker, Freescale’s QorIQ Qonverge platform will be used as the foundation for ip.access’ latest component, the E-100.

Enterprises and unrestricted enclosed environments will find the small cell Access Point ideal. The E-100 is expected to offer data speeds of up to 150 Mbps and 42 Mbps concurrently using the 4G and 3G mobile phone signals respectively. The field trials for the product are expected to be launched in the first quarter of 2013.

In a release, Nick Johnson, founder and CTO of ip.access said, “Small cells will have a vital role to play in delivering LTE's promise of high-speed data for large numbers of subscribers. The E-100 allows operators to rapidly add coverage and capacity to their LTE networks exactly where it is needed. There's an immediate return on investment for operators even before the mass-market take-up of LTE handsets.”

The service levels of mobile devices can be enhanced by mobile network operators using the E-100. The operators can also decrease the outdoor network traffic by offering enhanced data speeds inside office buildings, shopping malls, hotels and other public enclosed areas. Network performance can be bettered utilizing the 3G competence incorporated in the device, thereby decreasing traffic for most of the smartphone users.

The complete small cell solution architecture from ip.access, nanoConverge will be incorporating the E-100. Operators can therefore utilize the gateways and network management system, used by the existing 3G and 2G small cells of ip.access, to implement the E-100. Freescale's QorIQ Qonverge platform is being used for the first time by ip.access for its latest small cell, the E-100.

Johnson said, “nanoConverge is designed to ease the upgrade path for operators - whether that is adding 3G picocells and femtocells to an existing 2G installation, or ramping up LTE capability on an existing 3G small cell network. After an extensive RFQ process, we selected QorIQ Qonverge because of its advanced performance and ability to scale for different applications.”

In other news, TE Connectivity (TE) and ip.access recently announced that the two companies have teamed to create the world's first all-digital integrated Distributed Antenna System (DAS) and small cell base station for WCDMA services.

The solution uses ip.access' E16 picocell access point integrated with TE's InterReach Spectrum or InterReach Fusion DAS products to provide a one-stop system for enterprises wishing to improve mobile service in their facilities.