Powerwave introduces ultra-broadband LTE and Wi-Fi picocell.(NEW PRODUCTS)

Powerwave Technologies Inc., a provider of end-to-end advanced wireless solutions, announced the new LTE ultrabroadband Powerwave Picocell, which delivers up to 15 times greater overall system capacity at a much lower cost and complexity than adding standard macro cells to address "sore spots" of high data usage or weak signals in wireless networks.

The new picocell is a key component of Powerwave's Inside Out Solutions topology and supports both LTE and Wi-Fi technologies. This powerful all-in-one compact base station enables wireless operators to inject broadband capacity closer to where their customers need it most. This gives each user a better signal and reduces network congestion, resulting in a faster experience and longer battery life. Additional benefits include less zoning approvals and simpler installation.

Because LTE data speeds slow down with congestion and distance from the macro cell, the Powerwave Picocell delivers the fastest possible user experience for mobile devices, including video broadcast, mobile Internet, two-way video conferencing and HD video. In addition, enterprises and government agencies can build out a single infrastructure that enables users to take advantage of data-intensive applications using both LTE and Wi-Fi technologies in a single base station.

"Powerwave's new picocell offers an economical way to build out existing network infrastructure that not only immediately meets today's mobile user needs, but also provides for the future of 4G and beyond," said Khurram Sheikh, chief technical officer of Powerwave. "This product is a cornerstone of Powerwave's Inside Out Solutions, which dramatically boost data throughput at any time for LTE and Wi-Fi systems, both indoors and outdoors, providing an enhanced experience no matter where the user is located.

"Initial deployments of LTE networks have not been built from the inside out," said Peter Jarich, Current Analysis's service director for telecom infrastructure. "Yet, there can be no denying that as operators struggle to provide an impressive user experience, the use of small cells is critical to obtaining solid spectrum reuse and bandwidth per user. It's no surprise, then, that early market predictions for 2011 indicate that small cell architectures will become an integral part of 4G networks."

Key features of the Powerwave LTE Picocell eNodeB include:

- Small, elegant form factor is minimally invasive on the environment and enables fast and smooth deployment in challenging locations, both inside and outside;

- 3GPP Release 8 compliant;

- Powerwave World Radio Transceiver supporting all 4G frequency bands from 700MHz to 2.7GHz;

- Support for 100 simultaneous active users and 1000 registered users;

- Increased aggregate data throughput of nearly 100Mbps and user-plane latency of less than 5 milliseconds;

- Integrated 2.4GHz and 5.8GHz 802.11 Wi-Fi router;

- All-in-one design including antennas, filters, RF, baseband, and control;

- 2x2 MIMO in an elegant, compact design;

- Self Optimized Network (SON), remote provisioning, optimization, monitoring, and maintenance capabilities to reduce total cost of ownership;

- Five times less UL transmit power for connected devices, which extends battery life and reduces cost for both wireless operators and end users.