Nokia Siemens Networks breaks new ground for LTE, DSL

MANILA, Philippines - Last week Nokia Siemens Networks demon strated a number of industry firsts that show the company’s desire to push the broadband envelope.

From performing the world’s first LTE call on commercial software and doing an LTE indoor coverage, to demonstrating DSL with download speeds of 25 Mbps at a distance of up to 1,500 meters from the local exchange, Nokia Siemens Networks believes new technologies have so much possibilities that are yet to be unlocked for near future use.

First, what is LTE? It stands for Long Term Evolution and is the last step toward the fourth-generation (4G) radio technologies that can increase the capacity and speed of mobile telephone networks. The world is currently on 3G and LTE is being marketed as 4G. Several telecom companies in first world countries have already announced plans to upgrade their networks to LTE.

Last week’s first LTE indoor coverage demonstration was in partnership with China Mobile Communications. Nokia Siemens Networks executives said their research team in Beijing demonstrated a live streaming video downlink application using a compact experimental femtocell prototype in China Mobile’s research laboratory.

The demonstration reportedly reached throughputs that exceeded the typical xDSL speed currently possible via residential broadband connections.

Femtocell is simply a small cellular base station typically designed for use in a home or small business. It connects to the service provider’s network via broadband (DSL or cable) and can support up to four mobile phones in a residential setting. A femtocell allows service providers to extend network coverage indoors, especially where access would otherwise be poor.

Meanwhile in Germany, Nokia Siemens Networks experimented placing the first LTE data call from its R&D center there using commercial base station and fully standard compliant software.

Standard compliant LTE network products and terminals are required for commercial network rollouts so service providers get a choice of products from different vendors.

The Nokia Siemens Networks’ first successful LTE data call brought LTE trials closer to the behavior of future commercial deployments, Marc Rouanne, head of Nokia Siemens Networks’ Radio Access Business Unit, said in a press statement.

“The call is a significant landmark in building and strengthening our entire LTE ecosystem and shows our commitment to the technology. We see customers adopting LTE along differing timelines and we stand ready to meet the needs of early adopters of LTE as well as operators with extended migration paths,” he added. 

But perhaps the development that most consumers today can quickly appreciate is Nokia Siemens Networks’ demonstration of 25 Mbps DSL download speed at an unmatched 1.5-kilometer reach. The company calls the solution behind it as VDSL2 bonding, adding that it is a milestone in the industry.

“Restricted reach has put limits on the business opportunity of VDSL2. By doubling the reach with minimum complexity in terms of upgrading, our technology demonstration shows carriers a potential to extend their VDSL2 offering to millions of new customers,” said Eduard Scheiterer, head of broadband access at Nokia Siemens Networks.

A technology-related challenge faced by VDSL2 service providers is that available bandwidth drops dramatically the further a customer is from a DSLAM (the network device that connects the various DSL subscriber lines to the main high speed Internet connection). Bonding is a process by which several VDSL lines can be virtually combined to expand the reach of the VDSL2 network, increasing the access bandwidth for customers.

The company boasts that their VDSL2 solution marks not only the first demo ever conducted outside the ideal conditions of a lab, it could also be implemented through a simple software upgrade. This means improved time to market, reduced cost of implementation and protected investments for customers with previous investments in VDSL2, said Scheiterer.

The first deployments of LTE services are expected by the end of 2009 with volume rollouts of commercial networks in early 2010.

Nokia Siemens Networks is committed to drive the commercial uptake next year with its end-to-end LTE solutions especially for residential and mobile broadbands.

The company said it has shipped LTE-compatible Flexi Base Station hardware to over 80 operators to date.