Wants to minimse installation and backhaul costs
Siemens Networks has developed a technical concept for radio networks. The latest members of the “One Network” product family are a W-CDMA variant for the GSM 900 MHz band and Surpass hiD 3100 system, which transfers data via TDM, ATM and IP in the mobile transport network. Siemens is premiering the entire infrastructure for the “One Network” concept At the ITU Telecom World/3G World Congress in Hong Kong.
WCDMA over 900MHz is not a licensed product in all markets, but it does technically offer the potential to build out 3G at a lower frequency range, hence offering larger cell sites, either in new markets or in established markets where 3G access is not widespread.
“The goal is to allow carriers interested in offering new broadband applications to expand their existing GSM networks to include 3G with a minimum of installation costs,” explains Dina Bartels, Head of UTRAN Product Line Strategy at Siemens Networks.
The potential cost savings in installation are significant. If the same 900 MHz frequency is used, it is possible to keep on using not only the sites, but also antennas, cables and parts of the GSM base station.
Further cost savings can be achieved through the operation of a combined GSM/W-CDMA network since operations, maintenance and the core network are shared.
Siemens is touting its Mobile Access Gateway Surpass hiD3105 in this respect. 500 GSM and 512 W-CDMA base stations can be controlled using a single device. That significantly reduces the costs for renting space and for power and air-conditioning compared with individual solutions.