NSN unveils new microcell, picocell base stations

Nokia Solutions and Networks said that it has introduced new Flexi Zone LTE microcell and picocell base stations.

The base stations pack up to 5W of output power in an install-anywhere 5 kg/5 liter box, NSN's new all-in-one base stations will be available in early 2014.

The base stations also feature a built-in GPS module and 1588v2 synchronization, avoiding the need for any extra units, further simplifying and speeding deployment.

"The industry's only small cell solution with the same features and capacity as macro base stations. This is critical for integration into high-capacity Heterogeneous Networks (HetNets). To complement the base stations, NSN is enhancing its expert Services for HetNets with the use of a new multi-layer hot spot analysis and planning tool to help operators match their network deployments to business objectives," the company claimed.

"Their macro-level processing power comes from an innovative custom System on a Chip that allows the new base stations to run the same software as NSN's macro base stations. This makes it easy to integrate them into complex HetNets and drastically simplifies software upgrades across the network so that the same features are available everywhere at the same time," the company mentioned in its statement.

"Operators will benefit from all the macrocell features, such as easy software upgrade to LTE-Advanced, full support of NSN's NetAct Operations Support System (OSS), intelligent Self-Organizing Networks (iSON) automation as well as the industry-acclaimed Smart Scheduler and interference mitigation for superior subscriber performance in dense urban areas," it said.

"Initially expected to be used to provide hot spot capacity, the microcell and picocell base station software can when needed be remotely upgraded to create denser and larger hot zones as part of NSN's
award-winning Flexi Zone architecture,: according to a media release.

"Small cells have conventionally been cut down versions of macro base stations with reduced performance. In contrast, Flexi Zone microcell and picocell base stations use the latest System on a Chip technologies to deliver the same processing power as a macro base station. As traffic
demand rises, they can be upgraded to a full Flexi Zone deployment to build seamless multi-layer, high-density, future-proof HetNets," said Randy Cox, head of Small Cells product management at NSN.

"The new microcell and picocell base stations also include NSN's radio access security solution, which encrypts the traffic between the base stations and core network and automatically ensures that only operator authorized base stations can access the network," the company said in statement.