BARCELONA, Spain--Engineering and software solutions vendor Aricent is demonstrating self-optimizing networks (SON) as well as software-defined networking (SDN) solutions at this year's Mobile World Congress trade show and also announced a new small cell platform initiative.
At the show, the company is rolling out its Uni-SON, a centralized SON that can simultaneously optimize 2G, 3G and LTE heterogeneous networks via a single control point.
Uni-SON does the usual optimization functions, such as overseeing configuration settings for each cell regarding coverage, power level, neighbor relations and handover relationships. But it also addresses inter-radio access technology optimization.
Pratyush Dasgupta, vice president in Aricent's wireless technology practice, said the company designed its SON software solution so it can be customized to support network equipment from multiple vendors.
Uni-SON was created for a third-party OEM or system integrator to include in their full end-to-end offerings to service providers. "In parallel, we're also looking at any operator who might be interested to look at this as the full solution," he added.
Aricent is including LTE and 3G in its first release of the product, with 2G to follow in June 2014. "Our SON solution has been dimensioned for 10,000 cells, so it is typically suited for a macro deployment," Dasgupta said.
Also at MWC, Aricent is demonstrating SDN-related features, including a bandwidth application running atop an SDN controller, said Sudeepta Ray, assistant vice president of technology at Aricent.
In other MWC news, Aricent announced it is working with Octasic on 3G and LTE small cell platforms that OEMs can use to quickly build small cell solutions for vertical markets such as public safety and defense. The platforms include Aricent's 3G small cell and LTE eNodeB framework ported to Octasic's OCTBTS family of base station platforms, which are powered by the OCT2224W system on a chip (SoC).
Aricent's key investors are Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. and Sequoia Capital.
For more:
- see this Aricent release and this release
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