3 new small cell solutions launched by Ericsson to expand market

Ericsson has released three new scalable small cell solutions.

They've been labelled the Multi-Operator Dot and the Multi-Dot Enclosure for indoor deployments, with the Strand-Mount Unit for outdoor micro radios.

According to the vendor, the new models have been designed to help expand the market and meet the growing demand for better mobile coverage and capacity while preparing networks for 5G and the Internet of Things (IoT) applications.

Ericsson says we have reached a critical point at which approaches to small cells are evolving rapidly, with 75 percent of companies either already allowing allow employees to bring their own devices to work or plan to do so soon.

The Multi-Operator Dot solution delivers a set of Radio Dots that can be shared between multiple operators, enabling one operator to manage the system while others provide radio frequency signals.

This architecture then allows up to four operators to broadest over a single Dot solution that combines the multi-operator benefits of an active distributed antenna system (DAS) with the performance, agility and cost-effective benefits of the Radio Dot System.

Ericsson says the Multi-Dot Enclosure is pretty self-explanatory, combining multiple Dots in a single enclosure – which has minimal impact on building aesthetics, is useful for multi-operator deployments, and presents a cost-savings option in buildings that charge per box deployed.

And finally the Strand-Mount Unit for outdoor micro radios reportedly makes it easier to install the radios on the existing grid, hung on aerial coax, fiber, or electricity cables.

This solution can support up to four micro radios, enabling multiple operators to utilize the same mount for cost-efficient deployments with zero footprint.

Head of product area network infrastructure at Ericsson, Nishant Batra says they have developed scalable small cell models to meet the current demands of customers while also preparing for requirements that will be imposed by 5G and the IoT.

"With the Multi-Operator Dot and the Multi-Dot Enclosure, our customers can enhance the inbuilding user experience with excellent connectivity for both smartphones and IoT devices," says Batra.

"The Strand-Mount Unit for outdoor micro radios, meanwhile, facilitates the dense deployments that will be required for 5G – enabling operators to deploy small cells in areas where they may not have been able to do so previously.

Managing director at Mobile Ecosystem, Mark Lowenstein shares these sentiments.

"The mobile industry is experiencing an evolution in the way we use our devices, the methods in which we design the networks for upcoming 5G technologies, and the way we deploy small cells," says Lowenstein.

"Multi-operator solutions will be critical to expanding the market for small cells and the range of possible deployments. Ericsson's new small cell solutions address these industry changes to enable operators to deliver the needed coverage and capacity in a variety of environments.