AirNetAnnounces Field Trial of its Super Capacity, Adaptive Array

AirNet Communications, a developer of software-defined wireless base stations, announced a field trial agreement with an unnamed large, tier 1 operator. The trial will test AirNet's "Super Capacity" adaptive array base stations in a dense urban, major metropolitan market. The trial cell sites will include a challenging combination of extremely dense wireless penetration and difficult radio frequency (RF) planning characteristics. AirNet will provide the Super Capacity base stations at the selected cell sites. The large operator will conduct a battery of tests to evaluate "real world" performance improvements. AirNet is temporarily providing the base stations, common equipment and services for evaluation at no charge; and the large operator is paying for the costs of providing and preparing sites, ancillary equipment, and test services.


AirNet said wireless networks are prone to interference and poor voice quality due to the fixed directional transmission of radio frequency (RF) signals. In traditional base station systems, the wide area dispersal is necessary , resulting in considerable waste of radiated power. Also, the dispersed transmission pollutes the electromagnetic environment by radiating most of the transmitted power in unnecessary directions -- making radio planning difficult and expensive.


In contrast, AirNet's Super Capacity, adaptive array technology, which is designed for GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks, determines a user's location and attempts to focus and receive energy only in desired directions as well as to null the interferers. The resulting improvement of RF network quality through substantial C/I (carrier-to-interference ratio) gains, results in improved spectrum utilization and Erlang capacity for urban voice applications compared to traditional technology, thereby reducing the required number of cell sites.


"Our Super Capacity adaptive array broadband SDR platform is the alternative to the expensive and daunting task of building large numbers of new sites or purchasing expensive spectrum in this major metropolitan network," said Thomas R. Schmutz, Vice President of Engineering for AirNet Communications.
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