Nokia Siemens Networks and Qualcomm are developing an HSPA+ Multiflow capability that delivers flows from multiple base stations to specially equipped devices.
HSPA+ Multiflow allows devices located close to the edge of a mobile base station’s cell to connect with a second base station serving a neighboring cell. The ‘Multiflow’ name refers to the two different paths data can then take to reach a device. Essentially, two data streams are delivered from base stations in two adjacent cells to a single user device instead of one data stream from one base station as is the case with HSPA+. The companies claim Multiflow can deliver up to double the data speed and up to 50% faster response compared to existing HSPA+ networks.
HSPA+ Multiflow is expected to be standardized in 3GPP Release 11 later this year. Nokia Siemens Networks expects to deliver a commercial HSPA+ Multiflow implementation in 2013.
The demonstration at MWC 2012 will be conducted using Nokia Siemens Networks’ commercial Single RAN equipment . Three prototype USB dongles from Qualcomm will be connected to the HSPA+ network via a radio frequency network emulator. The HSPA+ Multiflow will show up to 100% throughput increase in the cell edge area for the multiflow-capable user equipment, while legacy user equipment will experience neither gains nor degradation.
http://www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com
http://www.qualcomm.com
- In September 2011, Nokia Siemens Networks and Qualcomm demonstrated a multi-band, multi-carrier HSPA+ data call with peak throughput of 336 Mbps. The demo used a commercial Flexi Multiradio Base Station and Multicontroller platform alongside MDM8220 test terminals from Qualcomm. It combined a total of eight HSPA carriers (multi-carrier), each carrying 42 Mbps with MIMO and 64 QAM modulation. This configuration can be allocated from one or multiple frequency bands (multiband), simultaneously for one data connection of over 300 Mbps. Multi-carrier and multiband HSPA is standardized in 3GPP Release 8 through 11, and the standardization for eight carriers is expected to be completed by 2012. The eight-carrier product will be available from Nokia Siemens Networks by end of 2012.
Nokia Siemens Networks noted that it is driving the standardization of Long Term HSPA Evolution to achieve speeds of more than 650 Mbps.