SpiderCloud Wireless is using a Broadcom WCDMA/LTE baseband system on chip (SoC) to create a multimode small cell for the enterprise that can offer 3G and LTE services simultaneously.
SpiderCloud's new SCRN-310 small cell combines the Broadcom SoC with SpiderCloud's software and is software-upgradeable to operate in two LTE spectrum bands as mobile operators refarm their 3G spectrum for LTE services.
The SCRN-310 supports 32 WCDMA/HSPA+ channels, 32 active LTE users and 128 LTE connected users. It also carries Voice over LTE (VoLTE).
Slated for availability during 2014's second quarter, the SCRN-310 will initially be available in two versions: One will operate in Band Class 2 (1900 MHz) and Band Class 4 (AWS) while the second will operate in Band Class 1 (2100 MHz) and Band Class 7 (2600 MHz). Support for additional band classes is planned for the second half of 2014, SpiderCloud said.
The vendor announced one year ago that it would add LTE capability to its small cell enterprise radio access network (E-RAN) systems with the 2013 launch of its SCRN-210 LTE small cell.
"As mobile data usage migrates from 3G to LTE in the next five years, SCRN-310 provides mobile operators with the flexibility they need and protects their investment in small cells," said Amit Jain, vice president of product management for SpiderCloud Wireless. "Our partnership with Broadcom allows us to introduce the first flexible multi-access small cell to market."
Supporting both 3G and LTE access is critical for operator investment protection, said Peter Jarich, vice president of consumer and infrastructure with Current Analysis. "Mobile operators need flexibility as they migrate their networks indoors and seek to enable in-building small cell services to medium and large enterprise customers," he noted.
There is a growing market for femtocells and other small cell flavors that serve indoor locations, which should bode well for solutions such as SpiderCloud's. According to ABI Research the number of femtocell installations in the enterprise market has risen by 70 percent over the past year. The research firm predicts femtocell shipments will increase tenfold by 2018, jumping from 3.75 million in 2013 to 37.45 million.
Vendors seeking a share of the market are coming from different backgrounds including ICT, core network and in-building/DAS, ABI noted. One recently announced entry is Ericsson's (NASDAQ:ERIC) Radio Dot System, a miniature disk-shaped cellular radio, will be available commercially in late 2014.
For more:
- see this SpiderCloud release
- see this ABI release
Related articles:
Ericsson goes after enterprise, DAS market with Dot
Vodafone Netherlands picks SpiderCloud for enterprise in-building access
Jarich: September's acquisition flurry: Opportunities, costs, risks and the wireless network
NEC, SpiderCloud tout small cell market trials with multiple carriers
Macrocells struggle to deliver indoor coverage
SpiderCloud adding LTE to enterprise small cell system