Subject: [NEXTEL-1] In-Building Shapes Up?

From: Marcelrf <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 05 Mar 2004 00:04:35 -0500

In-Building Shapes Up?

03.04.04

The market for in-building wireless systems could finally be on
the verge of mainstream success following years of low-profile
network deployments, according to the latest edition of the
Unstrung Insider (See http://www.unstrung.com/insider/).

The report -- "Cells in the City: Extending Wireless Coverage" -- 
argues that demand for kit capable of extending cellular network
coverage into hard-to-reach urban locations is at last showing
signs of potential growth.

"The sector is ripe for evolution," claims author Gabriel Brown.
"Mobile users are becoming less and less tolerant of poor reception,
dropped calls and lack of coverage... Carriers now realize that
they're leaving money on the table by not extending their networks."

The report examines two types of in-building systems: distributed
antenna systems (DASs) from the likes of Andrew Corp. and
LGP Allgon Holding AB; and micro/pico cell networks from vendors
such as AirWalk Communications Inc. and ip.access Ltd.

Today the in-building sector is dominated by "passive" DAS,
based on copper coax cable, accounting for around 70 percent of
the market. Typically these are single-carrier systems that take a
radio frequency feed from the mobile operator's macro or micro
base station and distribute it throughout the building.

Further growth is expected to come from both multi-carrier fiber
DAS and IP-based pico cell systems.

Unlike single-carrier systems that only transmit a signal
(at a given frequency) for one carrier, multi-carrier systems enable
a neutral host -- for example, the building owner -- to rent access to
several carriers. "From the point of view of future-proofing the
network as new frequencies become available, multi-carrier systems
should also make sense to the mobile carrier," says Brown.

The move to IP-based micro base stations, meanwhile, is expected to
overcome the huge cost of backhaul. Traditional pico base stations
connect via a TDM (time-division multiplexing) interface to the rest of
the network via a dedicated T1/E1 line -- which often costs more than
the additional revenue generated by that cell site.

"To address this cost, it is natural to move to IP transport over
Ethernet
or DSL to connect the base station to the rest of the network," adds
Brown.

Although Brown does not expect to see a huge market boom "in the near
term," he is confident that the sector is primed for future growth. "If
ever
there was a sector that could benefit from more hype, the in-building
systems market is it."

- Justin Springham, Senior Editor, Europe, Unstrung

http://www.unstrung.com/document.asp?doc_id=48764

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