Nokia Networks

Small Cells: Expanding indoor and outdoor coverage and capacity

2 Nokia Networks Small Cells: Expanding indoor and outdoor coverage and capacity

1. As demand for mobile broadband grows, the need for greater outdoor capacity and indoor coverage/capacity becomes more urgent. Complementing macro capacity, small cells offer a cost-effective way to meet this demand for large and complex indoor areas.

2. As the macro network becomes full, Small Cells will need to be implemented as a capacity underlay – using a pico cluster solution such as Flexi Zone.

3. Nokia Networks has a full portfolio of Small Cells products and services, designed to support this evolution from coverage to capacity.

Nokia Networks Small Cells: Expanding indoor and outdoor coverage and capacity 3

As mobile broadband demand continues to grow dramatically, operators will need to increase capacity significantly by adding small cells to complement their macro networks, forming heterogeneous networks, or HetNets. To support the rapid evolution of these HetNets, Nokia Networks offers an end-to-end portfolio of products and services across both macro and small cells that deliver the best mix of capabilities for the highest return on investment for operators.

With constantly rising demand for mobile data, it is essential that networks are modernized with all the capacity features available, such as 6-sector, active antennas and LTE roll-out. This will satisfy demand for the short-term, but in the long-term an underlay topology using small cells will deliver the necessary increases in outdoor capacity for busy urban areas and extend coverage indoors, even within very large buildings and at very dense traffic locations.

Why Small Cells? Small Cells are the ideal complement to a macro network. As a specific, targeted investment, they can deliver immediate benefits cost efficiently. With the cell site so much closer to the user, system efficiency is much higher: a better, faster user experience is delivered from a lower power, lower cost site. Advanced HetNet features will leverage small cells to support data demand realizing the potential of a liquid network.

Flexi Lite Base Station: Full-capacity micro / pico product in a compact package Whether filling holes in rural coverage or providing hotspot capacity in densely crowded areas of an urban network, the Nokia Flexi Lite Base Station delivers the solution.

With the same capacity and running the same software as Nokia Networks’ macro base stations, the Flexi Lite Base Station can be more easily integrated into a HetNet. With high power transmitter output (up to 10+10W), high receiver sensitivity (-121dBm single branch) and MIMO support, the Flexi Lite Base Station outperforms conventional microcellular base stations.

Flexi Lite Base Station can be deployed as a complete, one-box base station site for WCDMA/HSPA. Integration with backhaul products minimizes installation costs and lowers the site’s visual impact.

Flexi Zone LTE micro/pico base stations: Industry-smallest with macro capability Supporting both FDD-LTE and TD-LTE in a variety of bands, outdoor/rugged base stations deliver up to 5W output in an install-anywhere 5 kg/5 liter box and offer the same features and capacity as macro base stations.

The range also includes a multi-radio Flexi Zone picocell base station that integrates LTE and Wi-Fi in one unit. Combined with Nokia Networks Smart Wi-Fi real-time traffic steering, operators can now take advantage of unlicensed spectrum to double site capacity and improve the customer experience at busy locations.

Figure 1: Nokia Flexi Lite Base Station delivers coverage and capacity

Liquid Radio: Active, Adaptive and Aware

4 Nokia Networks Small Cells: Expanding indoor and outdoor coverage and capacity

To help meet demand in very dense urban areas, the Nokia Flexi Zone G2 Micro/Pico Base Station platform features a 4-pipes radio that supports up to 4x4 Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO), LTE-A Carrier Aggregation, large bandwidth or even dual band operation. With twice the processing capability of the Flexi Zone Micro/Pico Base Station, operators benefit from multiple variants that support different high capacity configurations. It integrates LTE and Wi-Fi in a compact 8 liter volume and light 8 kg unit for easy siting and installation.

An indoor Flexi Zone LTE picocell base station with optional Wi-Fi support is also available for use in small and medium-sized indoor deployments.

With Flexi Zone controller, the micro/picocell becomes a Flexi Zone access point for almost unlimited capacity or to serve large, very large and dense indoor locations. The base station can use a building’s existing Ethernet cabling (even that carrying LAN data) to interconnect all Flexi Zone elements, eliminating the cost of new wiring for Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) and Hybrid DAS systems.

All Flexi Zone base stations can incorporate HetNet interference management and load balancing using Nokia Networks dynamic, load-balancing enhanced Inter Cell Interference Coordination (eICIC) algorithm for up to 30% higher capacity.

Flexi Zone: Innovation for capacity & large coverage Nokia Networks has brought innovation to the Small Cells market with Flexi Zone: a Small Cell cluster solution for indoor and outdoor “hot zones”. The Flexi Zone access point combines low power LTE and Wi-Fi into a self-configuring unit for indoor and outdoor capacity underlay networks. These access points can operate as standalone micro/pico base

stations for hot spots and then be evolved with the addition of the Flexi Zone Controller, enabling hotspots to grow into hot zones, expanding limited coverage deployments to meet growing demand. The individual units can be coordinated by a localized controller to form a novel “zone” architecture that enables capacity upgrades to an existing network without costly reconfiguration.

The solution allows an operator to build almost unlimited capacity and coverage for up to very large indoor locations by deploying clusters of access points across a hot zone and enterprise/public indoor space. Flexi Zone uses LTE and Wi-Fi access points to complement the macro-cellular network, offering operators up to 50% lower overall costs than conventional small cell deployments.

Flexi Zone controller can run a mix of indoor and outdoor cells within one cluster, making it the first small cell solution capable of addressing large and very large indoor environments like airports, university campuses and shopping malls.

Flexi Zone controller software can even be deployed on Flexi Multiradio 10 Base Stations. This provides a cost-effective way to implement clusters of small cells for fill-in coverage near existing macro sites, for example in streets flanked by high-rise buildings. It also enables early deployment of hot zones by re-using macro site infrastructure.

Flexi Zone controller also supports the integration of Nokia Radio Application Cloud Server (RACS) to power Liquid Applications on a cluster of small cells. RACS is an IT server inside the base station which deploys the latest cloud technology running on standard IT middleware. Liquid Applications is a technological breakthrough that turns a base station into a powerful and distributed network edge computing facility. Completely new services can be built around the operator’s base station network, using its proximity and direct connections to consumers and private networks.

Figure 2: Flexi Zone’s novel architecture allows capacity upgrades without reconfiguration

Figure 3: Nokia indoor picocell access point for large indoor environments

AP AP

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SharedEthernet

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Nokia Networks Small Cells: Expanding indoor and outdoor coverage and capacity 5

Femtocells: Ultimate flexibility from a 3GPP- compliant solution The Nokia Femtocell solution comprises a fully 3GPP-compliant Femtocell gateway, with Nokia 3G and 4G Femtocell Access Points (FAPs). The most recent addition to the range brings HSPA+ radio access to residential subscribers.

Operators deploying the Nokia Femtocell solution have seen immediate benefits with increased customer loyalty and lower costs. The business case for Enterprise Femtocell deployments is even stronger, with the opportunity to create new business models through innovative architectures and location-awareness. In addition, Nokia Networks enterprise femtocells can extend into public spaces to provide coverage and high capacity in areas of dense user population and high broadband use.

The Nokia Networks femtocell solution is flexible, proven and mature, giving operators the tools to differentiate their networks to residential and enterprise customers.

Smart Wi-Fi combines the best of cellular and Wi-Fi With Nokia Smart Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi becomes just another radio access technology for mobile operators, who can integrate and control Wi-Fi networks to deliver a cellular-like experience over Wi-Fi as part of a larger HetNet. Smart Wi-Fi provides the visibility and tools to exploit operator-controlled Wi-Fi as a seamless extension to a cellular network and ensure best network selection according to the operator business strategy and network loading.

The solution comprises four modules, each of which tackles one aspect of introducing Wi-Fi as a seamless extension to the cellular network.

Smart Wi-Fi Connect provides integrated multiradio Wi-Fi/LTE pico cells, Wi-Fi access points and analysis, forecast and capacity expansion planning services for urban congestion.

Smart Wi-Fi Converge helps integrate Wi-Fi with 3GPP network and provision terminals for controlled, automated Wi-Fi access.

Smart Wi-Fi Optimize provides dynamic traffic steering of radio traffic between 3GPP and Wi-Fi. Access Network Discovery and Selection Function (ANDSF) implements rules-based steering, with Nokia Networks automated creation of traffic steering rules saving operators substantial manual work and achieving the highest network utilization. ANDSF capabilities are further enhanced to enable real-time traffic steering based on network loading. Smart Wi-Fi also supports HS2.0 ANQP for best Wi-Fi AP selection once a HS2.0 capable device has been steered to Wi-Fi.

Smart Wi-Fi Personalize allows an operator to target selected users for Wi-Fi access.

In-building solutions: Large building coverage Most mobile broadband traffic originates indoors, in corporate offices, airports, railway stations, malls, hospitals, stadiums and resorts. But heavy traffic in crowded locations, poor coverage and interference are barriers to good service.

6 Nokia Networks Small Cells: Expanding indoor and outdoor coverage and capacity

Furthermore, the challenging architecture of older buildings and the difficulty in penetrating modern, energy-efficient buildings are a significant issue. Nokia Networks helps operators to create a strategy, architect the right product, and design, plan and dimension an in-building solution. Nokia Networks’ comprehensive services include site acquisition, supply, project management and full turnkey implementation of a DAS system and Small Cells along with testing and optimization of the network.

An innovative 3-D geolocation-based HetNet planning service for in-building solutions pinpoints precise locations in high-rise buildings that have high demand or are suffering poor service, helping operators to deliver the best mobile broadband experience indoors.

Nokia Networks has a large installed in-building coverage base and more than 15 years’ experience of mobile broadband integrated and optimized in-building solutions.

Services for HetNets match traffic with user experience Services for HetNets helps operators to analyze, plan, deploy, and optimize heterogeneous networks. Nokia Networks provides the best and deepest analysis of hotspots, enabling operators to understand the impact of traffic density – as well as devices, applications, and end-user behaviour in congested urban areas. Services for HetNets integrates small cell radio and backhaul design, and includes macro, in-building, and Wi-Fi solutions to ensure a holistic approach. With analysis based on demand, 20% cost savings can be achieved compared to

blanketing the area with small cells. With this approach, 21% more subscribers can access the highest data speeds and no longer need suffer accessibility, retainability and throughput issues as congestion in urban areas is solved.

Putting it all together Nokia Networks’ end-to-end portfolio of products and services help operators to gain the most benefit by combining macro networks with small cells, including ever-present Wi-Fi, for indoor and outdoor coverage and capacity. Whether subscribers are on Wi-Fi or 3GPP access technologies, they can now be guaranteed a superior experience.

The portfolio includes the award-winning Flexi Zone, which enables almost unlimited capacity by deploying clusters of access points in hot spots and hot zones. Also included are 3G and LTE Femtocell access points, micro and picocell base stations that integrate LTE and Wi-Fi, a carrier-grade Smart Wi-Fi solution for building, optimizing and controlling Wi-Fi that integrates seamlessly with cellular networks, and Flexi Lite Base Station for 3G coverage in-fill and hot spots.

Nokia Networks also offers a wide portfolio of supporting products and solutions, such as Small Cell backhaul products, Self-Optimizing Networks solutions and network management tools.

These products are supported by Services for HetNets to help operators make a success of small cells through the analysis, optimization, deployment and management of macro and small cell networks.

Figure 4: Nokia Smart Wi-Fi turns Wi-Fi into a fourth HetNet radio access technology

Wi-Fi radio access network Analysis, planning and deployment

Connect

3GPP core integration Device provisioning

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Traffic steering Operation & management

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Subscriber level Insight & management

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Nokia Networks Small Cells: Expanding indoor and outdoor coverage and capacity 7

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© Nokia Solutions and Networks 2014

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