20131212_nsn_flexizone_brochure.pdf

7/25/2019 20131212_nsn_flexizone_brochure.pdf

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Nokia Solutions and

Networks Flexi Zone

LiquidNet


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The number of mobile internet users will surpass desktopusers within three years*. With smartphone-enabled 3G, socialnetworking, video streaming and VoIP on the horizon, a stormof data is heading operators way.

Faster radio access technology can help LTE will deliverbetween four and ten times todays capacity but there is a

physical limit on how much further future generations of radiotechnology can improve capacity using the same spectrum.The limited technical improvements that will be available, suchas ghting interference and complex upgrades to antennas,may not be practical in all markets.

Whats more, even with these increases, its only a matter oftime before exponential trac growth begins to outpace thetechnology. Current estimates predict that trac volumes willshoot up 1,000 times by 2020.

Might cell-splitting (deploying more sites) be the answer?With massive pressure on costs, augmenting the traditionalnetwork infrastructure in this way wont be feasible for manyoperators. Instead, theyre increasingly looking for othernetwork topologies and delivery mechanisms to providemore cost-eective ways of easing the load on their existinginfrastructure.

Operators are therefore exploring the possibility of deployingnetworks of smaller cells to underlay the macro networkand eectively increase the density of coverage. Ooadingtrac to these small-cell networks increases capacity andperformance by reducing the number of subscribers on eachmacro cell. Fewer people draw on the networks resources

and performance improves, delivering a better experience forevery user.

However, deploying tens or hundreds of thousands of smallcells brings signicant new challenges. For example, the extracontrol trac generated in these heterogeneous networkscould swamp the transport and core networks, there will besubstantial interference between the macro- and small-cellnetworks and backhaul bottlenecks must be avoided.

Heterogeneous networks are also far more complex thantraditional macro networks, so some form of self- organizationwill be required to automate many of the usual manualprocesses involved in controlling and optimizing networkoperations.

Flexi Zone from Nokia Solutions and Networks (NSN) uses aunique architecture to solve all these challenges and delivera series of unique benets.

Lighten the load with Flexi Zone

The NSN Flexi Zone suite is a LTE/WiFi-capable cellular solutionengineered to ooad trac from the macro network and

increase capacity by providing co-ordinated underlay networksat a street and indoor level, both for individual subscribers andenterprises.

Flexi Zone features a zone covered by a cluster of low-power access points connected to a local controller. Thisconguration enables operators to provide a remarkably richuser experience while ooading unwanted data trac fromtheir macro and core networks.

Flexi Zone is a safe investment because its easy to scaleto satisfy changing capacity and performance demands.Whats more, it lightens the backhaul load and impact onthe EPC (Evolved Packet Core), manages radio frequencyinterference and simplies operation. All that adds up to atotal cost of ownership (TCO) thats considerably lower thanfor conventional macro and small-cell deployments. Equippedwith powerful features such as local policy denition andenforcement, Flexi Zone can also provide excellent service toenterprises with converged mobile and private LAN access.

Family of solutions

This cost-eective and reliable solution is fully integrated withthe NSN NetAct management platform and complements theMacro Flexi BTS and Flexi Lite as well. Flexi Zone is also thesmall-cell cornerstone of the NSN Liquid Radio heterogeneousnetwork solution.

2 Nokia Solutions and Networks Flexi Zone

Scalable, cost-eective Flexi Zone

tackles the tidal wave of data.

Up to 5x the number of BTS

sites will be required by 2015.

* According to Morgan Stanley.


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Flexi Zone access points come in various models, fromoutdoor micro & pico BTS to indoor pico BTS to serve thedierent use cases, and as stand alone unit can addresscoverage needs as well as localized hotspots. If the area laterbecomes a heavily used hot zone, the access point can besoftware-upgraded and a controller can be added to convert itinto a full-edged Flexi Zone.

When and where?

Flexi Zone will be available commercially by the beginning of2014. Customer trials are already taking place, and NSN isrunning its own demonstration network in Arlington Heights(a suburb of Chicago).

The concept of small cell deployment is also gaining traction.Coverage will be the main driver through 2013, while

capacity will become more important from 2014. Operatorsin densely populated mature markets are expected to leadthe way, with the rest of the world catching up as emergingmarkets continue to develop. Flexi Zone will be ready to bedeployed in conjunction with the NSN Flexi base station at themacro-network level, providing a co-ordinated, multi-layerheterogeneous network complete with self-organizing network(SON) capabilities.

Flexi Zone is set to become the benchmark for a new kind

of solution. It will help operators add capacity to existingmacro networks and boost the subscriber experience bypro-actively adapting their network capabilities in advance ofevolving wireless broadband trends. In other words, it enablesoperators to always oer a best-in-class user experience withthe lowest TCO.

Nokia Solutions and Networks Flexi Zone 3

Backhaul connectivityPerf, cost & complexity

Offloading & local routing/policyBackhaul/EPC impact

Security & service availability

Optimization100k cells

Ease of installation100k cells

Management100k cellsElectrical power

Mobility/quality of serviceTransparent to user

PerformanceMacro collaboration

An end-to-end approach is imperative.

EPC impact100k cells... signaling load

Macro layer/coexistenceInterference, coordination

The challenges of building a small-cell underlay

Flexi Zone egress point

Flexi Zone controller

Flexi Zoneoutdoor AP

Macro eNodeB

+ Alternative

location for

Flexi Zone controller

Flexi Zoneegress point


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Nokia Solutions and Networks

P.O. Box 1FI-02022Finland

Visiting address:Karaportti 3, ESPOO, FinlandSwitchboard +358 71 400 4000

Product code C401-00839-B-201310-1-EN

2013 Nokia Solutions and Networks. All rights reserved.

PublicNSN is a trademark of Nokia Solutions and Networks. Nokia is a registeredtrademark of Nokia Corporation. Other product names mentioned in thisdocument may be trademarks of their respective owners, and they arementioned for identication purposes only.

nsn.com

20131212_nsn_flexizone_brochure.pdf

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