In an effort to improve in-building 3G data coverage, 3 Ireland has selected repeaters it claims will work in harmony with the company's 3G wireless network. The units, developed by US-based Nextivity, will form part of Ireland's Nation Broadband Scheme which aims to provide high-speed broadband services to all areas of the country by 2010.
Nextivity claims its Smart repeaters provide an in-building solution at a lower cost than using femtocells, and are specifically designed to complement the existing macro network with automatic, real-time gain adjustment. Nextivity CEO, Werner Sievers, said, "Our Smart repeater technology is designed to overcome the most demanding indoor coverage challenges and increase the effective RF capacity of each base station."
Key to the Smart repeater product would seem to be a baseband processor designed to optimise the indoor capabilities of 3G by using filtering, equalisation and echo cancellation techniques. Over 20 European operators are said by Nextivity to be trialling the Smart repeater device, which the company maintains can be installed in minutes.
Late last year, T-Mobile Netherlands said it had selected Nextivity's repeater technology in a pilot trial to improve the data coverage in its retail outlets throughout The Netherlands.
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3G.co.uk
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