Telefónica O2 has chosen Alcatel-Lucent to deploy femtocells to boost indoor 3G mobile broadband coverage for enterprise customers in Germany.
A-L will be providing a “plug-and-play” femtocell solution that includes both femtocell gateways as well as modems.
The solution will be installed in office buildings, as well as at outdoor locations in high-density areas where the walls of buildings are degrading the quality of a mobile signal, or in areas which are too far from a macro cell site.
Telefónica will be selling the modems as a new product called “Signal Box by O2”. Each modem is the size of a Wi-Fi base station and needs to link via cable to any internet connection and to a power supply.
According to A-L, a recent survey they conducted with IT executives around the world found that organisations are most interested in using small cells for in-building coverage if they have experienced dropped calls, slow data and email service, as well as poor in-building voice and data service.
The survey also found that enterprises were willing to pay for a premium small cells overlay service to improve indoor coverage and also provide better Wi-Fi, particularly if it was a one-time fee or an extension of an existing contract.
“Quality of service is one of Telefónica Germany’s major strategic goals. Using Alcatel-Lucent’s Femto technology, our business customers have the option of enjoying high-quality 3G services for their voice and data communication. Our Signal Box by O2 increases the indoor quality of service and improves the experience of our customers,” said Juan Carlos Garcia, Vice President Network Engineering Access and Transport at Telefónica in Germany.
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