Saudi Telecom Company (STC) has conducted a test of Nokia’s MulteFire technology, which combines the high-performance of LTE with the simplicity of Wi-Fi deployment in unlicensed spectrum bands such as 5GHz.
The test – which used Nokia’s FlexiZone small cells together with MulteFire software – showed how MulteFire can co-exist with Wi-Fi to deliver the high performance, high speeds and security offered by LTE in a densely populated environment.
Highlights:
- Neutral Host test: MulteFire allows the delivery of high-speed services across multiple end-user devices regardless of their mobile operator, allowing anyone with a MulteFire device to access data using a MulteFire access point. The test showed up to 120 Mbps of total download and upload throughput.
- Co-existence test: Tests showed MulteFire harmoniously co-existing with Wi-Fi when Wi-Fi was turned on in the same frequency and placed very close to a MulteFire access point.
- Enhanced Coverage test: The test showed up to 50% better range and up to 2x better coverage in comparison to Wi-Fi.
Nokia said MulteFire complements heterogeneous networks (HetNets), which use a mixture of macro and small cell radios, allowing operators to meet the increased connectivity demands of future smart cities and the Internet of Things (IoT).
#MWC16: MulteFire Alliance Pursues LTE in Unlicensed Spectrum
There is a growing interest in using LTE in unlicensed spectrum, according to The MulteFire Alliance, which was launched just over a year ago to promote the technology. The alliance is developing a global ecosystem for LTE in unlicensed spectrum and the further development of small cell technology. Ericsson, Intel, Nokia and Qualcomm are key players behind MulteFire. Multiple demos were held at MWC16 this week in Barcelona.
The MulteFire Alliance technical specification group is developing the MulteFire specification based on 3GPP Release 13 and Release 14 advancements, including downlink and uplink in unlicensed spectrum. MulteFire is designed to initially operate in 5 GHz unlicensed bands and coexist with other technologies using the same spectrum. MulteFire can also act as a neutral host to serve multiple entities or deliver provider-specific services at enterprises, venues and small businesses. The Alliance plans to provide interoperability, conformance and coexistence specifications and to enable conformance testing to ensure a robust and interoperable ecosystem.
“The MulteFire Alliance is committed to developing a technology designed to meet global unlicensed band regulations, including Listen-Before-Talk features required in regions such as Europe and Japan, for a truly global reach,” said Stephan Litjens, MulteFire Alliance Board Chair and head of Innovation Steering at Nokia. “Our members are taking great care to ensure that MulteFire technology will harmoniously coexist with other technologies in unlicensed spectrum bands.”
The newest members of the MulteFire Alliance include Athonet, Baicells, Boingo Wireless, Casa Systems, Ruckus Wireless and SpiderCloud Wireless.
