1. Open base station platform from Range Networks
Range Networks said it has released the latest version of software that will enable developers to offer operators base stations based on open source software.
Its OpenBTS 4.0 platform is designed to enable the development of RAN infrastructure on standard hardware using open source software, thereby reducing the cost of base station equipment to operators.
The new software increases processing capacity by 14x, providing improved SIP authentication and service for over 1000 subscribers on a single node. It also includes a built-in channel-scanning tool for transmission frequency selection when deploying systems and a JSON API that allows mobile network operators to configure and manage the software remotely.
The software will form the foundation of a new, multi-node, commercial network being implemented by French carrier GlobalTel to cover the island and city of St. Pierre (population 7000) of the French territory St. Pierre & Miquelon, located off the coast of Newfoundland.
What is Range Networks? The company website says: “Range Networks is delivering IP economics to cellular. We replace the traditional base station subsystem and core network. Our OpenBTS RAN software makes handsets look like SIP endpoints to an IP-based core”
2. Openet and OpenCloud open for joint solution business
Service platform provider OpenCloud and policy and charging software provider Openet have teamed up to launch a joint solution for Charging, Rating and Service Control of voice, messaging and data services. The partnerships sees Openet integrate its charging software on OpenCloud’s service layer.
Essentially, the integration is designed to bring charging and policy closer to the service control elements that replace traditional IN (intelligent network) platforms. That means that the same charging platform can be used for voice, messaging, video and data services – in theory making operators both more efficient but also more flexible in how they can offer pricing packages to customers.
“User experience is a combination of the service delivered, the charging model and price-points, and the behavior of the underlying network: that’s service control, charging and policy,” said Jonathan Bell, VP Product Marketing at OpenCloud. “The combined OpenCloud and Openet proposition delivers all three collaboratively, and enables operators to make superior customer experience the new competitive axis.”
3. Save your energyy
The GSMA and Pakistani operator Warid Telecom have completed a trial of technology designed to reduce energy requirements in the telco’s network.
The project, carried out as part of the GSMA’s Mobile Energy Efficiency programme, was conducted on ten cell sites across various geographies in Pakistan, and the technical solutions were trialled on four cell sites. These included Coolsure high efficiency telecom air-conditioners, GE’s Sodium Nickel Chloride Durathon battery and a Ballard methanol fuel cell back-up power system. Deployment of the solutions across Warid’s network has already begun, with 200 DC (direct current) air-conditioners being installed. The claimed results were energy savings of 30-70%, equating to annual savings of $6 million and a reduction of 19,700 tonnes of carbon emissions.
The GSMA also announced that Eltek, Enertika, PowerOasis and Purcell Systems have joined the GSMA’s MEE programme as technology partners. The companies are working with the GSMA to deliver projects for operators who wish to reduce their networks’ energy consumption and cost, as well as carbon emissions
4. Wireless for industry Part 1
FreeWave Technologies provides M2M wireless networking solutions. This week it announced a new product called WavePoint; which is a high speed product that can deliver industrial data over long distance broadband connections to enable M2M applications.
Ashish Sharma, CMO of FreeWave Technologies, said, “With the ability to combine multiple frequency bands, along with wireless IP routing and support for a wide variety of industrial SCADA protocols, management services, and flexible network design elements within one cohesive solution, WavePoint is able to meet the broad range of networking and communications needs of today’s expanding enterprise.”
WavePoint provides a variety of network configuration options and support for up to four wireless OFDM broadband modules per unit, operating in the 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz ISM and U-NII bands and options for 3G and Wi-Fi operations. Since WavePoint enables multi-purpose communications and can operate in multiple frequencies, customers can integrate it with existing Local Area Networks (LAN), Wide Area Networks (WAN) and more, thus protecting their existing network infrastructure investments.
The guiding idea of WavePoint is that organisations can deploy several network elements, such as wired network access, cellular network backhaul, local area communications, high speed backbone communications, Wi-Fi Hotspot access, and mobile mesh networking through a single platform.
Wireless for industry Part 2.
Red Lion Controls will be able to add LTE from Rogers to its series of IndustrialPro cellular routers and RAM cellular RTUs.
With 4G LTE wireless connectivity organisations of all sizes can leverage increased data speeds for primary or backup WAN connectivity for remote sites, video surveillance applications and remote automation environments.
Red Lion’s routers and RTUs provide wireless connectivity to remote locations and as a primary WAN connection or a backup to existing network links.
Contract NEWS:
Alcatel-Lucent scores IP transformation deal with China Mobile
Al-Lu hailed a one year frame agreement that could add up to EUR750 million to move the provider to an all-IP platform. That would pave the way for future NFV and cloud-based services, the companies said. In 2013, China Mobile selected Alcatel-Lucent as part of its vendor list, to provide lightRadio 4G TD-LTE overlay, Evolved Packet Core (EPC) and small cells technology to support its new 4G network.
Allot Communications doing video optimisation somewhere in Asia
Allot said a “Tier-1” operator in Asia is using its VideoClass optimisation product to handle video QoE for its 15 million subscribers. The unknown customer is a new one for Allot.
Aviat Networks in Papua New Guinea
Aviat selected by Telikom PNG to deploy a total turnkey microwave transport system to support its National Broadband Network (NBN) rollout. Aviat will supply its WTM 6000 microwave trunking platform for the project.
Axell Wireless at World Trade Centre, New York
Axell Wireless will deploy DAS system, at thenew World Trade Center complex in New York City, including One World Trade Center – the world’s fourth tallest building. The deployment is the largest public safety system installed by Axell and is also the largest public safety system in the USA. It includes optical master unit, fibre head end units, directional couplers, VHF filters and distribution amplifier packages covering 88 channels for UHF, VHF, and 800 MHz frequency bands. The high-speed system involved laying over 5 miles of high-capacity optical fiber to create the largest public safety system in the USA.
Ruckus Wireless knows the way to San Jose
Ruckus Wireless will provide free WiFi for a new 18,000 seat stadium being built for the San Jose Earthquakes. The service will be based on its “Smart WiFi” tech, designed to overcome the deployment and interference issues stadium deployments can give WiFi. TMN has no idea what sport the Earthquakes play, but stadium wireless is a key market at the moment.
Other Ruckus stadium builds include Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, NC; the 50,000 seat Chennai Stadium in India; Rio Tinto Stadium, a 28,000-seat venue in Salt Lake City, UT; Imtech Arena in Hamburg, Germany; the National Stadium of Lima, Peru, and two of Brazil’s largest soccer stadiums – the 68,000 seat Estadio Nacional de Brasilia and 52,000 seat Estadio Octavio Mangabeira in Salvador.
Telsasoft has six customers for its monitoring tech
Six regional US carriers have signed up for Telsasoft’s network monitoring tools to monitor performance, manage faults, and view subscriber experience on their 2G, 3G, and 4G networks.. The carriers are NewCore Wireless (Minnesota), Pioneer Cellular (Oklahoma), Thumb Cellular (Michigan), James Valley Communications (South Dakota), Mid-Rivers Communications (Montana) and Blue Wireless (Buffalo).
