Sprint intros Magic Box small cell, version 3

Sprint launched the third version of its Magic Box small cell for residential users and small businesses.

The LTE Advanced-capable device uses 4x4 MIMO, higher order modulation (256QAM) and three-carrier aggregation within Sprint’s licensed spectrum to boost performance. The new unit also includes Wi-Fi backhaul so the device can work using a Wi-Fi connection if wireless coverage is not available. Sprint Magic Box has a color screen that clearly displays key information, two USB ports for charging devices, and an Ethernet port for future support of network devices.
Like its predecessor, the new Sprint Magic Box was manufactured by Airspan Networks.

"We’re excited to introduce the next generation of our innovative Sprint Magic Box, leveraging advanced technology and our vast 2.5 GHz spectrum to benefit businesses deploying the units and our Sprint customers in the vicinity," said Dr. John Saw, Sprint chief technology officer. "Sprint Magic Box is another great solution we are using to continually improve data coverage and speeds to provide a better experience for our customers."

Sprint notes that more than 260,000 Magic Boxes have been distributed to businesses and homes in more than 200 cities since the device first launched in May 2017, representing one of the largest small cell deployments in the world.

https://business.sprint.com/magic-box

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Ericsson unveils the 5G Radio Dot

Ericsson is introducing a 5G version of its Radio Dot small cell solution.

The company says its 5G Radio Dot takes less than half the time to install compared to other indoor solutions and will support the new 5G mid-bands (3-6GHz) with speeds up to 2Gbps.

Nishant Batra, Head of Product Area Network Infrastructure at Ericsson, says: “Adding small cell solutions to our 5G portfolio is a natural part of the network evolution. Enterprises have been asking for first-rate connectivity indoors, as well as higher speeds and capacity to serve advanced use cases that cannot be addressed by traditional indoor systems. Our 5G portfolio, bolstered by small cells, will enable operators to meet these demands.”

• The Ericsson Radio Dot System is a disk shaped remote antenna element about the size of a hockey puck. The Ericsson Radio Dot is connected via standard Category 5/6/7 Ethernet cabling to a indoor base station.  The Dot delivers 3G and 4G LTE for indoor users using 2X 100 milliwatt output power.  Up to 96 of the dots could be connected to a single base station.

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Oscilloquartz unveils synchronisation solution for small cell deployments

Oscilloquartz, an ADVA Optical Networking company, announced the launch of the OSA 5405 SyncReach, an integrated PTP grandmaster and GNSS receiver featuring a patent-pending dual antenna and receiver and designed to support the large-scale roll out of small cells.

The new technology from Oscilloquartz is engineered to provide accurate and affordable phase synchronisation for the growing small cell market and meet the timing requirements of 4.5G and 5G connectivity. Using the OSA 5405, operators can migrate from legacy GNSS RF antennas and cables to standard copper and fibre Ethernet cabling, allowing reduced capex and opex.

Available in both indoor and outdoor variants, the new OSA 5405 is designed to be deployed in the challenging environments, including urban canyons where GPS signals fail. In addition, the OSA 5405's small size also enables it to be positioned on indoor windows to avoid multi-path signal interference from objects within the building.

The compact design and power-over-Ethernet capabilities of the OSA 5405 enable synchronisation at the edge of the mobile network, allowing a significant reduction in complexity and power requirements, as well as lower costs for installation and operation. A further key feature of the new solution is IP connectivity, enabling synchronisation as a part of Internet of Things (IoT) networks.

The OSA 5405 from Oscilloquartz provides precise GNSS-sourced synchronisation, supported by network-based SyncE and PTP backups. Additionally, in high-rise buildings it can also deliver synchronisation recovered from the GNSS smart receiver over fibre.

The solution is designed to be combined with the ADVA FSP Network Manager with Syncjack assurance to allow efficient operation. In addition, the OSA 5405 uses a dual GNSS antenna and receiver algorithm designed to mitigate interference from multi-path signals that can affect accuracy, particularly in urban canyons.

http://www.advaoptical.com/en/newsroom/press-releases-english.aspx

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AT&T notes Streamlined rules for Small Cell Deployment in Iowa

AT&T announced that Iowa's governor Terry Branstad has signed into law a new measure designed to streamline and standardise rules and so accelerate the deployment of small cell technology to help support the next generation of high-speed wireless services in Iowa.

AT&T noted that small cell technology will be an integral building block for future 5G wireless broadband connectivity. The compact small cells are antennas that can be affixed to existing structures such as traffic signals, buildings and street lights. The size and flexibility of small cells can help target areas that require additional capacity in a cost-efficient way.

Small cells are designed to enable faster wireless Internet speeds, provide increased and more targeted network coverage to support demanding applications such as streaming content and provide the foundation for future technologies including 5G, smart cities and connected vehicles.

AT&T stated that it invested nearly $150 million in its Iowa wireless and wired networks from 2014-16 on upgrades to improve network reliability, coverage, speed and performance for consumer and business customers. In 2016, AT&T noted that it implemented over 350 wireless network upgrades in the state, including the addition of new cell sites and adding capacity on existing cell sites.

http://www.prnewswire.com/search-results/all/at%2526t%2520iowa-dateScore-all-Show%20All-page-1-pagesize-25

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Source Photonics Launches Pluggable GPON for Small Cell Backhaul

Source Photonics announced the industry-first integrated, pluggable GPON SFP ONU with 1 Pulse-Per-Second (1PPS) and Time-of-Day (ToD) support for network clock synchronization in mobile small-cell backhaul applications.

The new transceiver is based on the ITU-G.984.2, G.988, and the Broadband Forum TR-156 standards, and offers full GPON OMCI stack, an SGMII interface operating at 1 Gbps or 2.5 Gbps , and full digital diagnostics monitoring capability. It is available in industrial-temperature grade with a low typical power dissipation of 1.5W.

http://www.sourcephotonics.com

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Video: Radisys and Intel Small Cell Gateway Demo

In this video, Daniel Lynch, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Intel,  demonstrates a new way of rolling out a small cell site gateways.  Rather than a closed box in a fixed form factor, this demonstration shows a new, virtualized design based on Radisys technology.

Chandresh Ruparel, Director of x86 Platform at Radisys, explains how a small cell gateway integrated with a virtual EPC and IoT management can be scaled on the new Radisys T-series platforms.

See video: http://youtu.be/3nUBB1dyjQc

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