eBooks

Understanding LTE-Unlicensed // July 2015 Sponsored Content Being a Good Neighbor: Mobile Industry Points the Way to LTE-Unlicensed Two approaches and small cells drive LTE-U deployments By Renuka Bhalerao Mobile operators are feeling the strain of our digital lifestyles. Today, the average person carries 2.9 connected devices and that number is growing. Mobile operators' networks bear the brunt of the associated exploding traffic so maximizing spectrum remains a critical strategy for mobile operators for keeping up with the data deluge. First things, first. Spectrum is expensive. Mobile operators are already implementing LTE-Advanced techniques to add capacity to their networks, without having to purchase new spectrum. However, in addition to leveraging licensed spectrum, operators can also access unlicensed spectrum in the 5GHz band to add even more bandwidth. Currently, 5GHz is used for 802.11n and 802.11ac Wi-Fi connectivity, so being a good neighbor with the Wi-Fi community is very important to avoid congestion and interference. Two approaches To date, LTE has been exclusively deployed on licensed spectrum owned by operators around the world. While licensed spectrum remains a requirement for LTE deployments, operators are beginning to supplement their 'pipes' with unlicensed spectrum to achieve higher performance. This new method called LTE- Unlicensed (LTE-U) is taking root with multiple trials to prove the technology already underway. In North America, silicon vendors and mobile operators are taking a 'pre-standardized' approach to LTE-U, delivering proof-of-concepts to get a head-start on LTE-U deployments. This approach is being driven by the LTE-U Forum. In Europe and Asia where spectrum has more stringent regulations, the 3GPP is seeking a 'standardized' approach to LTE-U or LTE-LAA (License Assisted Access) as it's termed. Members have created a work item for LTE-LAA and are collaborating to incorporate it into Release 13, planned for release in March 2016. LTE-LAA will incorporate a better process for avoiding interference with the introduction of 'Listen Before Talk.' The role of small cells in an LTE-U world As LTE-U is an extension of LTE-Advanced, small cells remain central to its deployment. Small cells play a crucial role in global LTE-Advanced deployments, driving carrier aggregation and key interference management techniques. At Radisys, our TOTALeNodeB™ LTE small cell software, part of our CellEngine™ portfolio, provides our customers with a natural transition from delivering carrier aggregation in an LTE- Advanced environment to aggregating unlicensed spectrum for LTE-U as well. TOTALeNodeB's versatility enables both the standardized and pre-standardized approaches to meet our global customers' needs. We are working closely with our silicon partners to deliver a pre-standardized variant of LTE-U. As these silicon vendors adjust their chip offerings, TOTALeNodeB's flexibility allows us to quickly embrace new features. Providing a pre-standardized version of LTE-U with our small cell software allows us to begin proof-of-concepts and support our North American customers now, rather than when the specification is completed. At the same time, we are watching carefully the standards efforts by the 3GPP and collaborating with the ecosystem to support our European customers that prefer to take a standards-based approach to LTE-U. Leveraging small cells for LTE-U provides a localized approach to carrier aggregation that helps mobile operators stay good neighbors with the Wi- Fi community, while being able to further maximize their spectrum to increase capacity and coverage and ease network strain. Radisys' TOTALeNodeB small cell software is good to know in the neighborhood. n

• Cover