Alcatel-Lucent to launch fist-sized alternative to cellsite towers

Manila, Philippines - Technology provider Alcatel-Lucent is introducing next year a fist-sized alternative to cellsite towers used by local telecommunications companies.

“We created a technology that can handle the volume of the future,” Alcatel-Lucent Asia Pacific region wireless competence head Mick Higgins said.

Branded as LightRadio, the newest offering of Alcatel Lucent aims to declutter costly, massive and unsightly cell towers and base stations of telecom service providers in the Philippines starting 2012.

“We are already in talks with telecom service providers worldwide, including the Philippines, for this technology. They all want to see it and were already asking when can they get the technology,” Higgins said.

He said LightRadio will allow the telecom firms to do away with the high maintenance and clutter of antennas as it can be conveniently mounted on a pole. A pair of LightRadio cube can have up to one kilometer coverage area.

The latest technology, Higgins said, will cut site rentals by more than 60 percent, energy consumption by over 50 percent and more than 50-percent savings in total cost of ownership.

“In 2012, you’ll see this technology here in the Philippines,” he said.

Higgins added that this technology can eventually replace all existing towers and base stations of telecommunications companies.