Nokia Solutions and Networks has demonstrated the usefulness of Authorised Shared Access (ASA) technology in a new live TD-LTE 4G network trial in Finland.
ASA is a concept currently being defined by the GSMA that enables spectrum that has been licensed for international mobile telecommunications (IMT) to be used by more than one entity, such as TV broadcast networks or government agencies.
According to the GSMA’s policy position paper on ASA earlier this year, “theoretically this would increase the use of the radio spectrum by allowing ‘shared access’ when and where the primary licensee is not using its designated frequencies”.
An example for the use of ASA could be to help operators who wish to access complementary spectrum for mobile broadband, such as the 2.3GHz frequency band in Europe or the 3.5GHz band in North America.
Working together with a Finnish commercial network operator, as well as a spectrum-owning local agency, NSN deployed network elements in three Finnish cities, namely Single RAN Flexi MultiRadio 10 Base Stations in Ylivieska, commercial Core Network in Oulu and commercial NetAct network management system in Tampere.
The live network field trial has proven that ASA works and has substantial benefits for operators, according to NSN.
“The benefit of ASA is that it provides both the technology and regulatory framework for sharing spectrum,” said Marc Rouanne, NSN’s executive vice president for Mobile Broadband.
“Our trial showed that operators can get up to 18 percent extra bandwidth for mobile broadband networks cost effectively. This technology works with existing LTE and TD-LTE networks and does not require specific software for the end-user devices, making it easy to deploy and transfer the benefit directly to the mobile customers.”
Liquid Apps gets SK seal of approval
NSN has also announced it is ramping up interest in its highly-anticipated Liquid Applications, which the vendor debuted in February at Mobile World Congress.
SK Telecom has undertaken a three-month testing phase since June 2013, installing Liquid Applications in its laboratories, where it has succeeded in turning a base station into a local hub for delivering services.
“We expect to create an enriched Service Aware RAN environment that brings greater benefits to our customers through intelligent and personalised services,” said Choi Jin-sung, executive vice president and head of ICT R&D Center of SK Telecom.