Nokia Networks has delivered a new Flexi Zone outdoor modular base station that becomes the world’s first small cell to achieve over 1Gbps peak data rate. A bundle of services simplify small cell deployment and help operators to evolve to Ultra-Dense Networks.
With up to 90% of a small cell’s total cost of ownership (TCO) consumed by its deployment and operation, Nokia Networks has lined up several innovations to address the major barriers. These include the optimal selection of viable sites, more efficient backhaul, improved plug and play technology, new energy-saving features and simplified synchronization between base stations.
Nokia Networks’ new Flexi Zone G2 Multi-Band Carrier Aggregation Outdoor Micro/Pico Base Station (BTS) platform delivers exceptional capacity and greater than 1Gbps peak data rate. By using three RF module slots, operators can deploy and aggregate between various radio access technologies and spectrum combinations including up to three LTE licensed carrier bands or configurations offering a combination of LTE licensed carrier bands, unlicensed LTE bands (LTE-U or LAA) and WiFi.
Nokia HetNet Engine Room allows operators to deploy small cells 30% faster, with 20% lower costs and serve 10% more subscribers. Using detailed 3-D street level maps, the service calculates a ‘Site Value Index’ that quantifies the likely return on investment (ROI) for operators from different locations.
Several other Nokia Networks innovations also focus on overcoming the technical and cost barriers of deploying small cells:
* A point-to-multipoint non-line-of-sight (NLoS) wireless backhaul option from Nokia Networks partner Tarana Wireless. Fast high-performance fiber-like backhaul can now be deployed to sites that are difficult to reach cost-effectively with fiber or line-of-sight technologies.
* New Intelligent Self Organizing Networks (iSON) capabilities enable rapid small cell deployments with backhaul over public networks* and for operator networks that do not use Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol (DHCP). In these two more complex environments, small cells can now be operational in under 20 minutes after being powered up.
* An integrated Grand Master Clock function added to the Flexi Zone Controller that distributes a high accuracy clock to all Flexi Zone AP within the cluster. This functionality offers significant CapEx and OpEx savings by eliminating the need for an external timing solution or GPS antenna for each small cell.
* Flexi Zone operating costs are reduced by a new energy-saving feature that enables operators to power down capacity underlay small cells at specific times and at low loads.
