LTE small cell from ip.access to deploy in early 2013

Ip.access on Thursday announced its first LTE small cell, integrated with 3G capability, which it expects to see deployed in the field in a year's time.

The dual-mode unit, known as the E-100, is capable of providing simultaneous LTE and 3G signals, and is designed for use in enterprise and public indoor environments.

"[We see the E-100] getting into customer labs by the end of the year," ip.access founder and CTO Nick Johnson told Total Telecom earlier this week. Operator deployments in the field will follow in the first quarter of 2013, he added.

It is a quad-band device, supporting the 1900-MHz, 850-MHz, 700-MHz, and 1700-MHz frequency bands.
"And there's also space for WiFi," Johnson said, enabling the operator customer to integrate carrier-grade WiFi connectivity, should they so desire.

The fact that the E-100 features two channels, 3G and LTE, means that mobile operators could decide to deploy it soon, rather than waiting for LTE to go mass-market.

"There's an immediate return on investment for operators even before the mass-market take-up of LTE handsets, Johnson pointed out, in a statement.

The E-100 will be integrated into ip.access' nanoConverge solution, unveiled late last year, that enables operators to support 3G small cells from an existing 2G small cell gateway. Going forward, it will also enable operators to add LTE to an existing 3G gateway and network management system.
The new unit will be based on U.S. chipmaker Freescale's QorIQ Qonverge platform

Source: Total Telecom