Alcatel-Lucent's Compact LTE Metro Cells provide more flexibility in how operators deliver ultra-broadband mobile access

PARIS, Feb. 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris andNYSE: ALU) is to give operators greater flexibility to build so-called 'heterogeneous' networks – highly efficient, multi-platform mobile ultra-broadband access systems – by adding the new Compact Metro Cell Outdoor family to its portfolio of small cells devices.

The innovative Compact Metro Cell Outdoor – currently being trialled with a number of operators around the globe - is 50 percent smaller than existing metro cells. This provides more options for the discrete creation of HetNets to improve coverage and capacity, including integrating the device into street furniture, such as the digital advertising signage in bus shelters being developed by JCDecaux as part of a technology partnership with Alcatel-Lucent.

The Compact Metro Cell Outdoor (CMCO) family integrates the latest embedded baseband innovations, an LTE radio, higher power output and modular design options, including external antennas. It supports a greater number of active users and offers even more deployment flexibility. Their compact size also allows them to be wall-mounted and hidden from view, with just the antenna visible, and optimally placed to offer customers the highest service quality.

Operators can connect CMCO devices via backhaul into their wider network. In addition, the ability to bypass the embedded baseband unit (BBU) means they will also be able to connect via a Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) to a centralized BBU, managing multiple radios. This will allow them to smoothly evolve networks and leverage the efficiencies offered by a virtualized RAN architecture.

Mike Schabel, Vice President of Small Cells in Alcatel-Lucent said: "By extending our small cell product family to include the Compact Metro Cell Outdoor, we are offering a solution that meets the needs of any operator in any location. The goal of this product was to enable operators to seamlessly and simply integrate the product inside of existing street furniture and simplify municipality zoning approvals. Our existing Metro Cells continues to help them with pole-mounting and wall-mounting applications, while we are expanding their deployment options with the Compact Metro Cell Outdoor."

The 9764 Compact Metro Cell Outdoor Family – technical details

• Small form factor (approximately 6K cubic centimeters for a 2x2W).
• Support for LTE mobile ultra-broadband connectivity, with Wi-Fi as an option.
• Increased capacity, supporting up to 200 users
• Later versions using system-on-a-chip (SoC) technology will support 60 MHz within one box, as well as the ability to daisy chain to aggregate multiple small cell sectors.
• Radio-on-chip (RoC) technology which enables 43% greater power efficiency compared to small cells solutions without this technology. This is an important consideration for network operators. In the recent IntelliSpektrum project, under which  Bell Labs, the industrial research arm of Alcatel-Lucent, collaborated with the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Solid State Physics, the Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz-Institute and Intel Mobile Communications GmbH, it found that mobile networks which use a mix of macro and small cell radio base stations can see energy savings of up to 50 percent.
• Coverage and capacity support for different scenarios, made possible by various output power:
  • 2x1W for dense urban locations (to complement the existing Metro Cell family),
  • 2x2W for optimal coverage and capacity
  • 2x 5W for the highest coverage
• Use of a variety of external antennas (directional or omni directional). This allows for a number of mounting options, including the ability to discreetly integrate within street furniture or behind walls.
• The ability to allow operators to smoothly evolve towards a vRAN architecture, leveraging a centralized BBU.

The Compact Metro Cell Outdoor family is commercially available now within the 1800 MHz frequency, B7 operating band and 2600 MHz frequency, B3 operating band, with a full complement of frequencies for FDD and TDD available throughout 2015.

Alcatel-Lucent is a leader in small cells with over 130 contracts spanning more than 75 operators in 53 countries including multi-vendor and hardened industrial-grade external deployments. It offers end-to-end solutions for the home, in-building as well as outdoor metro cell deployments. The company's leadership is backed by a rich ecosystem of industry collaborations with experts such as Qualcomm, Accenture, JCDecaux, and EBlink. The company launched its Metro Cell Express Site Certification Program in December 2013, giving customers access to a database of companies with local specialized knowledge of site acquisition, installation and backhaul.

About Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris andNYSE: ALU)
Alcatel-Lucent is the leading IP networking, ultra-broadband access and cloud technology specialist. We are dedicated to making global communications more innovative, sustainable and accessible for people, businesses and governments worldwide. Our mission is to invent and deliver trusted networks to help our customers unleash their value. Every success has its network.

For more information, visit Alcatel-Lucent on: http://www.alcatel-lucent.com, read the latest posts on the Alcatel-Lucent blog http://www.alcatel-lucent.com/blog and follow the Company on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Alcatel_Lucent.

SOURCE Alcatel-Lucent

Related Links

http://www.alcatel-lucent.com