Two leading distributed antenna system vendors have announced new initiatives to help target enterprise customers. CommScope is launching a digital DAS for centralized radio access network (C-RAN) architectures, and ADRF is partnering with Cheytec for faster access to radio signal sources. (More on Cheytec.)
“Driving down costs and barriers to in-building wireless implementation will be critical for supporting the emerging demand for connected smart buildings.” said Kyung Mun, principal analyst at Mobile Experts. “New systems like CommScope Era respond to operators’ needs for options that will make in-building wireless more affordable for building owners and commercial real estate companies.” Read More.
CommScope has created a new DAS node that can be placed in a C-RAN hub to dynamically route baseband capacity to a distribution point. The node can be placed in a DAS headend room or in a mobile operator’s existing C-RAN hub. CommScope says it wants to “upend the economics of in-building wireless” by offering a solution that can be used in headend facility that serves multiple distributed antenna systems in different buildings.
ADRF partners with Cheytec
ADRF is the third DAS vendor to announce a partnership with Cheytec, a venture formed to remove the friction that enterprises face when they consider funding their own DAS deployments. The biggest problem companies face is carrier coordination and retransmission agreements, according to ADRF COO Arnold Kim. Kim said Cheytec has solved the problem through its master lease agreements with the nationwide carriers, agreements which guarantee cellular signals to Cheytec customers.
Cheytec supplies radio equipment made by Ericsson and Nokia, and for ADRF it will supply signal sources from these vendors that support the 3.5 GHz band as well as license-assisted access. ADRF is the first DAS vendor to support these frequency bands.
SOLiD and Zinwave are the other DAS vendors who have partnered with Cheytec. When Cheytec engages with an enterprise customer, the company will design a system that uses Nokia or Ericsson radio equipment along with antennas and amplifiers supplied by a DAS vendor, typically one of its partner companies.
Customer engagements can also come through the DAS vendor, Kim said. He said that for both new installations and upgrades, ADRF is ready to leverage its new relationship with Cheytec to expedite access to radios and guarantee carrier participation.
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