ENGINEERING

CableLabs Summer Conference Innovation Showcase-- While mobile data consumption is rising exponentially, predominantly from internet traffic driven by smartphones and now tablets, mobile operator revenues are not keeping pace. Small cell architectures offer the promise of increased capacity at a lower cost but deployments have been hampered by the challenges inherent in providing power, mounting and backhaul to the wireless base stations. To cost-effectively address the ever increasing demand for mobile broadband access, BelAir Networks today announced the new BelAir100SP Strand Picocell, a compact wireless base station that leverages available broadband infrastructure to deliver mobile broadband internet via both licensed and unlicensed wireless spectrum.

The BelAir100SP is designed to be mounted on existing cable infrastructure, with both power and backhaul provided by the broadband hybrid fiber coax (HFC) plant. Available in a range of mounting options, the BelAir100SP can be deployed from cable plant installed on poles, in cabinets and pedestals and even underground. The modular design of the BelAir100SP currently supports a range of licensed 3G radios, with a migration to LTE, along with dual 802.11n Wi-Fi radios. The BelAir100SP is running live at the CableLabs Summer Conference Innovation Showcase, August 15-18 in Keystone, CO. This Innovation Showcase focuses on cutting edge broadband technologies.

"I think it's brilliant that BelAir Networks is bridging the traditional chasm between licensed and unlicensed technologies by bringing them together in one small cell base station," said Stephane Teral, Principal Analyst, Mobile and FMC Infrastructure, Infonetics Research. "For mobile carriers looking at smaller cells as a way to augment their 3G and LTE networks, the BelAir100SP offers a very innovative approach to deploying and operating a small cell architecture within a traditional macrocell environment."

Research firm, In-Stat, forecasts that the demand for small cell architectures will result in a 378% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in carrier-installed metropolitan picocell unit shipments worldwide between 2009 and 2014. As Allen Nogee, Principal Analyst for the Wireless Component Technology Service at In-Stat, explains: "Metropolitan picocells, like the BelAir100SP, are excellent in dense areas where there are many closely-spaced subscribers. Wireless operators will use metropolitan picocells because this type of solution fits the rollout of 4G services very well while being relatively inexpensive, so we've forecast the worldwide metropolitan picocell equipment market to be worth more than $5 Billion by 2014."

While often viewed as competitors, many Mobile Carriers already partner with Cable Operators, leveraging the hybrid fiber coax infrastructure to backhaul mobile traffic from 2G and 3G macrocells. According to their report, "US Mobile Wireless Backhaul 2011", Visant Strategies estimates that cable operator share of the mobile wireless backhaul market will grow by more than five-fold by 2016, topping $3 Billion in annual service revenues by 2015. The BelAir100SP enables Mobile Carriers and Cable Operators to extend this mutually beneficial relationship to enable widespread picocell deployments that enhance the capacity of 3G and LTE macrocell coverage. Outside of the US, Mobile Carriers and Cable Operators often share common ownership, thereby facilitating this cooperation.

The BelAir100SP combines BelAir Networks proven robust, compact hardware with their industry-leading BelAirOS operating system software supporting carrier-grade security, edge based policy enforcement, and network-wide mobility. In addition to the 3G and dual 802.11n radios and associated antennas and duplexers, the BelAir100SP includes a DOCSIS 3.0 Modem, plant power supply, and power protection/splitter.

"Some of the world's leading mobile carriers and cable operators are among BelAir Networks customers, so by focusing on their business and technical challenges and opportunities, we are able to deliver innovative solutions like the BelAir100SP," said Dave Park, Vice President, Product Marketing, BelAir Networks. "It's pretty clear that small cell architectures can play a strong role in LTE deployments and the BelAir100SP is designed to remove the traditional roadblocks to widespread small cell adoption."

Dave Park will host a live webcast: "Unleashing the Power of Picocells" on Tuesday, August 24 at 2:00 pm EDT and on Thursday, August 26 at 2:00 pm EDT and 2:00 pm GMT. For more details or to register, go to webcast.