Mindspeed brings support for smart DAS technology to small cell towers

     Mindspeed Technologies, Inc. announced the inclusion of support for Intelligent Distributed Antenna System (DAS) technology in its industry-leading series of system-on-chip (SoC) for small cell products. With this capability, Mindspeed is able to support "hybrid" systems with small cell towers and feed to DAS devices, which expands the market opportunity for small cell towers and brings new value to companies currently developing DAS products.

     DAS has been a traditional way to boost cellular coverage in large buildings such as shopping malls, office buildings or airports, by "feeding" radio  signals over coaxial cables to ensure that their signals reach all areas. While it is effective for improving coverage, it does not solve the data capacity problem caused by the explosive growth of traffic from smartphones and tablets today. In contrast, small cell sites generate traffic cost-effectively and improve service for users, but getting them to cover all areas of a large building remains a challenge. By integrating support for paired DAS in its SoC, Mindspeed can now offer a solution that combines the two, effectively providing both capacity and coverage in these challenging indoor environments.

     Until now, chips for small cell base stations have been unable to support DAS, but Mindspeed® 's PC333 and PC3032 products have added special support technology to address the delay characteristics of long coaxial cable networks, as well as special antenna technology related to DAS. The PC333 and PC3032 are specifically designed for high-performance public access small cell sites to serve high-density systems in urban hotspots, city centers and buildings. They are the only small cell SoCs that support 3GPP Local base Station (LABS) performance and soft Handover (SHO) standards, which is particularly important in areas that may be served by multiple antennas, such as DAS.

     "Just as it has been discovered that Wi-Fi, small cells and DAS should be viewed as complementary technologies rather than competing with each other," said Doug Pulley, CTO of Mindspeed's Wireless Division. "Combining small cell sites and DAS opens up new opportunities for both technologies, allowing operators to effectively meet both coverage and capacity within large buildings." DAS systems have been installed in many retail complexes and office buildings, providing an increase in capacity and a migration path to 4G. Mindspeed is the only company to support DAS on its small cell chips and is leading the industry with these new capabilities and the new opportunities they create."

     "The combination of DAS and small cells creates a perfect fit, especially in mid-size buildings, where there are existing fiber, coaxial or Category 5 (CAT5) cables to distribute RF signals." In many buildings, there is no reason to use a traditional three-sector macro station to drive DAS, but instead use a small cell base station to drive DAS, possibly on every floor, "said Aditya Kaul, mobile network practice analyst at ABI Research. "Mindspeed is using some clever technology to combine the two, and the benefits are clear: small cell towers generate coverage in a limited space, while DAS delivers RF to where it's needed." The key thing is that indoor systems are starting to penetrate smes and related vertical markets, and the fact that DAS and small cells can form a synergy is proof that we are entering a heterogeneous network future."

     Traditional DAS deliver radio signals and provide excellent network coverage to large buildings, underground tunnels, shopping malls and areas that are difficult to reach using outdoor macro stations. Today, the biggest challenge for operators is to achieve excellent network coverage while maintaining capacity to support the growing volume of data traffic, and this is where small cells can provide a solution.

     Small cells provide excellent capacity. Traditionally, small cells have been able to provide service in the area around a base station (perhaps 100 meters in cities, up to 2 kilometers in rural areas), which is perfect for providing capacity at busy train stations or crowded commercial intersections. However, it is not suitable for complex corridor networks of large buildings, and there is a risk of covering shadow or dark areas even with small cell towers.

     By combining small cell sites with existing installed DAS equipment, operators can integrate a technology that creates capacity while also delivering that capacity efficiently. This integration will solve the problems of operators and owners and expand the reach of small cells, while adding new opportunities and new value for companies that currently offer traditional DAS solutions.