An Ignoble Experiment

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Nokia (NYSE:NOK) and Harris want the First Responders Network Authority (FirstNet) to think of them when it goes on the hunt for rapidly deployable LTE solutions for disaster areas, rural emergency situation and extended network coverage during special public events.

The system can be used to deliver LTE coverage and capacity in one hour or less.

At this week's 2014 APCO International trade show in New Orleans, the partners are introducing a field-transportable eNodeB system they say can be used to deliver LTE coverage and capacity in one hour or less. Installed in a rugged enclosure for off-road operations, the system can be powered off grid by fuel cells and includes several backhaul solutions, including Wi-Fi, microwave and/or satellite. Further, the solution can also be equipped with an optional core network and application server to provide local connectivity in case of backhaul failure.

LTE equipment contracts have been awarded by Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) funds recipients that have agreed to lease 700 MHz spectrum from FirstNet (and also Harris County, Texas, which was not a BTOP recipient and is using FirstNet's 700 MHz spectrum, though a lease agreement has not been formally announced).

However, an avalanche of nationwide contracts remains far off as FirstNet has said a comprehensive request for proposals (RFP) for the nationwide public-safety broadband network (NPSBN) is not slated to go out until early 2015. Nonetheless, industry participants are busy jockeying for attention and trying to attract public-safety's interest in their LTE wares.

"We just want a fair chance to compete," said Mark Combs, account director with Nokia Networks North America government and public-safety organization. "There really is no movement yet, but Nokia has stayed the course, and in fact we have expanded our team."

Combs said Nokia's message for the APCO show this week is that the company and Harris can help public safety get critical communications "when and where you need it," with a particular focus on network restoration, network extension and remote incident response.

Lots of other vendors are engaged in creating rapidly deployable LTE solutions. "What differentiates us is the fact that we're taking a holistic approach," Combs said, noting, for example, that the Nokia/Harris trailer can be easily customized depending upon use case.

"Our eNodeB is very versatile. It's the commercial variant. It's the one we've tested at PSCR (Public Safety Communications Research). It's the one we sell to T-Mobile (NYSE:TMUS), Sprint (NYSE: S) and all around the world," he added. Combs noted Nokia's eNodeB also is highly integrated with DragonWave backhaul.

"By leveraging our Flexi Multiradio Base Station family and Harris' BeOn group communications suite, we are providing first responders a best-in-class commercial solution that ensures delivery of real-time data and video when most needed," said Bob Fennelly, head of government and public safety for Nokia Networks.

Meanwhile, in other Nokia Networks news, the company recently announced it is buying part of the wireless networks business of Panasonic System Networks. The agreement covers Panasonic's LTE/3G wireless base station system business for mobile operators and related wireless equipment system business.

The parties plan to conclude the agreement by the end of September 2014, with the expected closure scheduled for Jan. 1, 2015.

For more:
- see this Nokia release and this release

Read more about: Bob Fennelly, FirstNet
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2. Procera jumps into real-time location, QoE awareness

By Tammy Parker

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3. Iotera close to funding goal for free IoT network

Procera Networks aims to help operators reduce their deployment of probes and costs associated with drive testing by enabling real-time location and awareness of radio access network (RAN) signal quality in its new device-based RAN Perspectives software solution.

Procera is best known as a provider of deep-packet inspection tools and big data analytics. Alexander Havang, Procera CTO, said RAN Perspectives is Procera's first product specifically targeting mobile subscriber quality of experience (QoE). The new product integrates into the company's existing PacketLogic solutions.

Procera said its initial offerings based on RAN Perspectives include customer care insights; analytics for quality, congestion, applications and out-of-coverage hotspots; RAN congestion management based on real-time location awareness; location-based service plan offerings; crowd-sourced minimized drive testing and out of coverage registration for RAN engineering teams.

RAN Perspectives is available now for beta testing and is slated for general availability during the first quarter of 2015.

Mobile network operators are increasingly interested in implementing solutions that reveal the true QoE being experienced by their users. This approach is essential in managing network data traffic and keeping customers happy, thus reducing churn and competitively positioning one mobile network vis-à-vis its competition. Competitors entering the QoE and customer experience management (CEM) market include Anite, which announced in June that its Nemo CEM Observer now provides diagnostics at the drive-test level via an application that runs on a subscriber's mobile device.

"The proliferation of mobile devices coupled with the expanding use of data-intensive applications such as mobile video has led to increasing congestion in the RAN that can dramatically reduce subscriber QoE," said Shira Levine, directing analyst, service enablement and subscriber intelligence at Infonetics Research. "A device-based solution such as RAN Perspectives has the potential to more effectively manage congestion while enabling a broad array of additional services, solutions and applications, which could have dramatic implications for mobile networks."

Anil Rao, senior analyst, service assurance, at Analysys Mason, noted that RAN data and intelligence on roaming customers' service quality "is of critical importance for operators looking to improve the subscriber experience and further monetize their infrastructure investments."

For more:
- see this Procera release

Read more about: RAN Perspectives, QoE
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By Tammy Parker

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SPOTLIGHT ON... 802.11ac Wi-Fi slowly but surely being adopted, survey shows

With more than one week left in its Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign, Iotera--a startup aiming to build a nationwide machine-to-machine network for all manner of connected devices--has raised more than half of its $250,000 goal.

Iotera says it has built the smallest GPS tracker in the world. (Image source: Iotera)

Iotera--the "Iot" refers to the Internet of Things--says it has built the "smallest, longest-lasting GPS tracker in the world." That diminutive (43mm x 22mm x 11mm) device--called Iota--is key to the firm's plan for a new nationwide wireless network with no monthly fees.

The device also includes a temperature sensor and accelerometer, which is where things start to get interesting, because those functions broaden the use cases to situations such as pet monitoring (Is "Fido" getting uncomfortably warm inside your car even though it's a cool day?) and even home alarms (Has a window been opened? Has the mailbox door been opened and closed, meaning you got mail?).

Iotera cofounder Ben Wild explained to Wired that the M2M network transmissions are sent using the unlicensed 902-920 MHz band. Iotera wants people to help build a community network, which requires them to attach a small Iota Home Base on their residence's window. The device listens for any Iotas within range and forwards messages from them to the Iota cloud servers via the user's home Wi-Fi network. Those servers process the messages, sending status updates and alerts to companion devices such as a smartphone or a computer.

Each Home Base can forward messages it receives from the cloud to any Iota, enabling people to use an Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) iOS or Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) Android app on their smart device to send configuration changes and on-demand location requests to a specific Iota via the cloud.

Iotera needs to convince people to share their home Internet service with other people and their Iota devices. "The Home Base uses less than 5 kbps of bandwidth to send data to our servers. For a 1Mbps uplink, that is less than 0.5 percent of your total bandwidth. This will not have a noticeable effect," the company said.

Naturally, the system works better as more Home Bases are deployed, because there will be massive coverage gaps if not enough people get on board with the plan. The company said it regularly sees at least one mile of coverage in its Home Base field tests, conducted in northern California. Transmissions from a Home Base installed on the rooftop of Iotera's three-story office building in Redwood City, Calif., can be heard four miles away, and tests of prototypes on a straight, open highway achieved eight miles of range.

Given such ranges, the firm contends only 10 Home Bases are needed to cover an entire city. However, having more Home Base deployments will improve Iota device battery life.

Because Iota does not come with a monthly use fee, Wild told Wired the service will be less expensive than subscription-based tracking services from companies like Tagg and Whistle. And Iotera's extensive range should make it preferable to Bluetooth-based offerings such as Tile, which is restricted to a range of about 150 feet.

The company expects to sell an Iota, Home Base and attachment accessories for $199. Each Iota will ship with a pet collar accessory and a key chain accessory as well as a Micro USB cable for charging.

According to its Kickstarter page, Iotera is aiming for FCC certification of its devices in September and mass production starting in November, in time for product shipments at the start of 2015.

For more:
- see this Iotera Kickstarter page
- see this Wired article

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Though the 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard was ratified at the end of 2013, most enterprises still rely upon good old 802.11n for their Wi-Fi networks, according to a survey released by Spiceworks. Of the IT professionals surveyed, only 6 percent said they had deployed 802.11ac as of July 2014. Some two-thirds reported they are still using 802.11n as their Wi-Fi standard, while almost a quarter use the much older 802.11a, b and g. A whopping 85 percent of IT professionals relying on older Wi-Fi technology reported having network issues, such as range, dead spots and capacity/bandwidth. Of the 43 percent who intend to upgrade their wireless networks in the next 24 months, three-quarters plan to upgrade to 802.11ac, with faster throughout being cited the main reason for the upgrade, Spiceworks said. Of the 28 percent upgrading to an older standard instead of 802.11ac, budget was cited as the primary constraint. The survey, sponsored by Aerohive Networks, included 554 IT professionals in North America and Europe, the Middle East and Africa. For more, see this report.

Wireless tech news from around the Web.

> Though it will remain a wholly owned subsidiary of Agilent Technologies until early November, Keysight Technologies has begun operating under the Keysight name. Release

> Australia's Telstra will shutter its GSM network by the end of 2016. Article

> Wearables need dedicated silicon, interoperability and beauty, according to Rob Chandhok, Qualcomm's senior vice president and president of interactive platforms. Article

> Qi wireless charging standard adds ability to charge devices at short distances. Article

> Internet.org, the brainchild of Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, is getting criticized for its business model. Article

And finally… One of Google's mystery barges is reportedly on its way to the scrap heap. Article

Schoolar: LTE could be just what 450 MHz needs

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