Small Cells' Big Bet at Canadian Telco TELUS

PARIS, FRANCE: Alcatel-Lucent has shared that it is to provide TELUS a Canada national telecommunications company, with it Enterprise Small Cell device, one of the first deployments of Alcatel-Lucent small cells, that is often terms as a breakthrough and that has resulted from its partnership with Qualcomm Technologies and a global first for this particular product.

Designed to extend LTE, 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity and coverage into offices and other buildings, the first-of-its-kind Enterprise Small Cell device launched in September 2014 and features a chipset from Qualcomm Technologies Inc., the company explains.

TELUS will use the Enterprise Small Cell to provide wireless customers with seamless connectivity and high performance inside of offices and other densely-populated buildings, which has been increasingly challenging for service providers as growth in use of mobile devices in the workplace has resulted in increased data traffic and network congestion.

In combining LTE, 3G and Wi-Fi, the Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise Small Cell will relieve this congestion and offload traffic from the macro cell network to extend existing and new services to public and enterprise indoor environments.

The company claims that the Enterprise Small Cell can be easily deployed, on walls or office ceilings to optimize coverage and also a Software Defined Radio is used on the Enterprise Small Cell to allow operators to configure support for 3G, LTE or a mix of technologies. This will facilitate the future transition from 3G to LTE networks, allowing operators to reclaim spectrum for use in LTE networks.

Ibrahim Gedeon, Chief Technology Officer of TELUS, said:  “TELUS customers expect and deserve a fast and reliable experience wherever and however they are connected to our network. With Alcatel-Lucent’s Enterprise Small Cells, we are able to provide our subscribers with the best possible LTE and Wi-Fi services in high-traffic areas like shopping malls, office towers and special event venues. This first-of-its-kind deployment further strengthens TELUS’ leadership position in next-generation technology adoption in the Canadian telecom industry.”

Alex Giosa, President of Alcatel-Lucent Canada, said: “Today’s LTE network is largely built in an outdoor environment, making indoor coverage a challenge depending on the buildings proximity to a cell site and the materials of the building, particularly in Canada. With the Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise Small Cell, TELUS will be able to provide enhanced high-speed LTE and Wi-Fi service to their customers in both indoor and outdoor environments that gives their customers a differentiated wireless experience.”