RF&WirelessBlog

Celcite reveals latest operator contract for its multi-technology SON solution

Celcite has received an order from a Latin America mobile operator for its COPS-Enterprise multi-technology SON software and COPS-VIPCare customer experience management software. The company will also provide managed services for all of the operator’s networks, spread across several countries in Latin America. This new business takes the number of cells COPS will be managing to over one million, which Celcite says is the largest number currently being managed by any single management and optimisation enterprise platform.

Industrial wireless network planning tool allows engineers to visualise the network

SoftDEL has launched Aerodel Designer, a multi-vendor multi-protocol industrial wireless network planning tool. SoftDEL says that Aerodel Designer is aimed at providing SI and OEM planning and field engineers with a solution to make wireless site surveys easy and efficient. The tool allows OEM and SI sales force engineers to visualise the network, plan heterogeneous networks, model multiple scenarios, customise device parameters and quickly estimate requirements.

Tektronix launches user interface for network monitoring and management

Tektronix Communications has introduced Iris Performance Intelligence (IPI), a user interface to enable teams that are responsible for network, service and IP performance. IPI is a new addition to the Iris suite of products, and provides end-to-end analysis and reporting capabilities coupled with a flexible and powerful KPI/KQI modelling engine that allows operators to better link desired business outcomes to events that occur at the network level.

Cell planning and optimisation in the spotlight for Mobile World Congress

With the growing pressure on operators to manage their networks effectively to improve efficiency and capacity, automatic tools for cell planning and optimisation are becoming increasingly important. A number of vendors have made recent announcements both about products and about partnerships with operators and vendors, and among others they are expected to make their mark at next week's Mobile World Congress. LTE has brought new design challenges, which include features such as MIMO, multiple frequency bands, variable bandwidths and adaptive coding and modulation, which all have a significant impact on the business case for LTE deployment.

Wide area femtocells enabled by picoChip reference design

Femtocells are already becoming established for residential applications, but there is now growing recognition that the technology has greater potential in terms of reducing CAPEX and OPEX for larger cells, such as those serving campuses, rural areas or 'metrozone' hot-spots. A new variety of cells, known as 'greater femtocells' or 'superfemtos' is emerging - these are similar to the 3GPP 'Local Area Basestation' or traditional picocells, but with the addition of the femtocell's capabilities in using standard backhaul and in the ability to self-configure for interference management. The Femto Forum has recently standardized femtocells into Class 1 (typically residential), Class 2 (primarily indoor for enterprise) and Class 3 (for rural, metro and wider area deployment).

This week has seen the launch of the PC8219E, which picoChip says is the world's first reference design for Class 3 femtocells, and which has already been deployed by carriers. Based on picoChip's proven PC8208 and PC8209 PHYs, the new product provides a complete extended-reach HSPA femtocell baseband with the capacity for up to eight users, a 2km range, and support for vehicular mobility.

AirMagnet launches enhanced security toolset for 802.11n networks

Wireless network security specialist AirMagnet, which became part of Fluke Networks in August this year, has announced a new version of AirMagnet Enterprise specifically designed to help drive 802.11n network deployments, management and security. The tool allows network managers both to troubleshoot 802.11n networks and to optimize their performance.

Dedicated monitoring has now become standard practice among enterprise WLAN operators, to enable them to detect complex attacks from hackers. Ensuring security has become a serious problem as network users increasingly send sensitive data such as credit card information over WLAN networks, and the integrity of the networks has become 'mission critical'. At the same time the explosion of consumer WiFi devices means that friendly devices need to be readily recognised and allowed onto the network, without compromising the ability to detect rogue devices.

Cherrypiq Telecom launches customised planning and optimisation services for WiMAX, LTE and other networks

Cherrypiq Telecom, a telecommunications consultancy based in Bristol, UK, has announced the launch of a portfolio of network planning and management capabilities that enable designers of networks worldwide to meet technical requirements such as data rate, coverage, capacity and quality of service (QoS) while still satisfying or exceeding business objectives.

The range of wireless consulting services offered by Cherrypiq Telecom is independent of any equipment vendor, and includes: network design; site selection; planning and optimisation; engineering process automation; and end to end project management. Cherrypiq also has a number of strategic technical and distribution agreements in place for relevant state-of-the-art software tools.

Although currently finding themselves busiest in helping to design new WiMAX networks around the world, Cherrypiq's technical capabilities are equally strong in LTE, UMTS/HSPA, CDMA, GSM(-R), VoIP, WiFi and TETRA.

"Many existing consultancies have their main expertise either in the engineering aspects of designing networks or in putting together a financial and business case for the network," said Leon Hardwick, Managing Director of Cherrypiq Telecom. "At Cherrypiq Telecom we believe in a holistic approach, and it is our view that an effective network can only be realised by making sound engineering decisions that are informed by a clear understanding of the business constraints."

"As air interface access technologies become more complex, it is increasingly important to make sure all the parameters are right before roll-out," commented Alberto Loreto, Director of Services Delivery at Cherrypiq Telecom. "A number of the early WiMAX operators failed to optimise their networks adequately, and this has resulted in some bad press for the technology. Applying rigorous and robust planning and optimisation techniques at the earliest stage could have avoided costly reworks further down the line, and the complexity of the technology even means that some weaknesses may be impossible to eliminate after roll-out."

"The recession has forced some telecom equipment vendors to rationalise their in-house design teams," added Leon Hardwick. "This means that they need to outsource their network engineering function to a consultancy they can trust, and this is exactly where Cherrypiq can help. We provide a full service that includes optimisation of network roll-outs, and also assisting with the delivery of automation for ongoing optimisation of both radio and core networks. We can equally help operators with design and planning of networks, vendor selection and pre- and post-launch optimisation."

Started in 2008, Cherrypiq Telecom has recently moved into new premises in the Aztec Park business district of Bristol, one of the UK's hotspot areas for wireless innovation. It has also just launched a new Website to present the full extent of its consultancy service to network operators, telecom vendors, system integrators and Government and enterprise customers.