Private Mobile Networks, the company spun out of Teleware to provide low power “local” GSM services using GSM guardband frequencies, has become the first of the recently-licensed companies to announce its plans.
The company has developed a solution based on network selection prioritisation on the SIM. When a phone containing a PMN SIM is turned on, it will first look to authenticate against its “home” low power network. If the local network is not available then the SIM will register the user with the macro cellular network, routing calls that way.
But calls will not be handed over if a user walks from one “zone” to the next. In other words, if you are making a call in your office, get in your car and drive away the call will drop and you will have to re-dial to start again.
PMN’s play is that it is integrating the pico-cellular coverage from infrastructure supplier ip.access with its own SIP/IP platform, meaning that it can add SIP applications and functionality to calls made from mobiles whilst in an office or campus environment. An example of the application might be call recording, currently impossible in an enterprise environment for mobile phones, as well as conferencing.
“It’s the SIP/IP implementation that’s unique,” Teleware director of marketing Lesley Hansen said.
Hansen also told Mobile Europe that PMN has signed an MVNO deal with Isle of Man based Cloud Nine allowing it to provide roaming access back to the PMN eXchange, its call routing and mobile switching platform. Using the least cost routing platform for roaming could cut call costs by 60%, she claimed.
PMN has seven pilot companies trailing the service, Hansen said, and she expected all of them to become full customers in time. PMN also hopes to attract the interest of mobile operators who could piggy back on its SIP implementation to encourage FMC adoption and increase in-building coverage.
As PMN paid much more than other companies for its license (£1 million versus £50,000 in the lowest instance) it is understandably keen to be the first to market. Especially as likely competitors in the low power range includes the likes of BT, as well as competitive FMC solutions based on different technologies.