Public Wireless announced the commercial availability of the Public Wireless Colo-Node HSPA, the first metro femtocell solution specifically designed for outdoor hotspot locations.
Metro femtocells are an elegant solution to the smartphone-led explosion in capacity demand, providing voice coverage and capacity for data hungry users precisely when and where it is needed. These hotspots may be found in busy urban centers, train stations, crowded event venues or topographically diverse suburban and rural locations.
The Public Wireless Colo-Node HSPA is a new class of device: a metro femtocell that provides a targeted, low-cost solution that can be rapidly installed and easily maintained. It automatically complements the existing macro network and adapts to changes in the adjacent macro and femtocell networks. The Colo-Node HSPA provides seamless capacity relief for increasingly congested macro networks, and backhauls over the ubiquitous, low-cost IP infrastructure already deployed – typically cable or DSL. A single Colo-Node HSPA metro femtocell provides a range of up to 2km at pedestrian and vehicular speeds.
The Colo-Node HSPA is part of a range of metro cell solutions based on Public Wireless’ proven Distributed Network Element (DNE) platform, building on the company’s expertise in wireless hotspots. The platform includes all the necessary equipment to make a highly functional outdoor metro cell deployment: a compact ruggedized casing designed for pole or strand co-location, IP backhaul, power amplifier, management system interfaces, and an external antenna. This platform can support many of the currently deployed wireless standards in one single location. Public Wireless can integrate all 2G, 3G, and 4G technologies in this single box. WiFi 802.11n is also a supported option.
Each Colo-Node HSPA unit contains up to four Ubiquisys femtocell modules, each with 16 calls / 14.4Mbps HSPA data capacity. The modules are powered by Ubiquisys Femto-Engine software, which ensures adaptive compatibility with the macro network and provides handover with other femtocells and the macro network for service continuity. If the macro is replanned, the metro femto immediately adapts according to operator policies.
“We are very excited about the results of our collaboration with Ubiquisys, delivering a solution for high density and capacity using a small footprint and low power,” explains Rich Kerr, CEO of Public Wireless. “We look forward to deploying this in many places where call volume and data traffic are critical.”
“The Public Wireless Colo-Node HSPA is another step towards realising our vision of femtocells as a universal unit of mobile coverage and capacity,” said Chris Gilbert, CEO Ubiquisys. “Our Femto-Engine technology, combined with Public Wireless’ expertise in turnkey leased sites, fundamentally changes the economics of 3G hotspots.”
Public Wireless has pioneered wireless siting solutions, providing operators with a simple leasing model to meet their coverage and capacity requirements, and provides alternative wireless siting solutions where traditional development costs and/or zoning and permitting processes have made deployment prohibitive. Public Wireless’ low-impact, turnkey solutions allow for the introduction of coverage and capacity within a targeted 90-day deployment process. Public Wireless executes all critical tasks required to get sites on-air quickly and under budget, so service providers can focus on their business and network build-out objectives.
The Colo-Node HSPA hotspot will be available in June 2010 for UMTS bands 1, 2 and 5 for the Americas, European and Asian GSM/UMTS Mobile Operators.
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