Ericsson AIR 32 launched to boost mobile broadband coverage and capacity

2013.02.13 Press-release, via LTE Depot.

• Antenna Integrated Radio (AIR) addresses operators' coverage challenge through its superior radio performance and compact integration of the antenna into the radio unit
• AIR enables the smooth and cost-efficient introduction of LTE and HSPA without the need to add additional antennas or remote radio units to sites
• Compared with existing AIR products, AIR 32 enables up to 70 percent higher throughput and up to 25 percent increased indoor coverage, substantially improving the user experience of mobile-broadband services
• AIR 32 allows multiple active frequencies in a single unit, enabling a 50-percent reduction of radio equipment Consumers' increasing demand for mobile broadband is forcing operators to build out their networks for greater coverage, capacity and speed. However, existing sites can be full of equipment, introducing new units can increase site-rental costs, and regulations, zoning and permit processes can lead to long delays in the rollout of new sites.

To help operators overcome these issues, Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) today announced the launch of AIR 32 - an innovative new addition to the AIR portfolio - which will be showcased during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2013 in Ericsson Experience in Hall 2 in Barcelona, Spain. AIR addresses operator challenges by allowing for the introduction of LTE and HSPA without requiring additional antennas or radio units to be added to network sites. The highly integrated nature of the AIR product portfolio enables a faster, easier, high-quality installation, which minimizes revenue losses and the need for additional site visits. In addition, AIR 32 allows multiple active frequencies in a single unit, enabling a further 50-percent reduction of radio equipment.

T-Mobile USA is currently using AIR in its ongoing network transformation program, and by doing so, it has experienced substantial improvements in ease of network deployment and performance.

Neville Ray, chief technology officer, T-Mobile USA, says: "We are currently deploying Ericsson's AIR 21 product and are very excited about the benefits we are seeing. It offers a fast-track way of getting mobile broadband services such as LTE into the marketplace. We can save months in terms of deployment with this product on a per-site basis. In addition, there are many performance gains and benefits in radio performance that will enhance the user experience of mobile-broadband services. We look forward to learning more about the capabilities of the new AIR 32."

Thomas Norén, Vice President and Head of Product Area Radio, Ericsson, says: "Improving the user experience by providing superior mobile-broadband performance is one of the top priorities for today's operators. Thanks to its improved radio performance, AIR 32 increases coverage, capacity and speed to the benefit of subscribers. This also leads to increased customer loyalty and a reduced churn rate for operators."

The two most important network aspects for customer satisfaction are coverage and speed. Compared with existing AIR products, AIR 32 enables up to 70 percent higher throughput, substantially improving consumer experience of mobile-broadband services. This is achieved by enabling up to four simultaneous transmission streams, over the AIR 32 4x4 multiple-input, multiple-output configuration.
AIR 32 also offers up to 25 percent increased indoor coverage compared with existing AIR products. This substantially improves the reliability of indoor mobile-broadband services. Considering that an estimated 70 percent of all data traffic occurs indoors, improved indoor coverage is vital for an enhanced user experience.

AIR was first launched during MWC 2011 as the world's first solution that compactly integrates the radio unit and the antenna. Today, it is in full serial production, available in multiple versions and bands, and deployed at major customers in high volumes worldwide.

During Mobile World Congress 2013 in Barcelona, Ericsson showcases its combined technology and services leadership for the Information and Communications Technology industry. Our solutions deliver superior network performance in the field, enable complete customer experience management, simplify and automate operations workflows thereby leading to operational excellence. We show how the Networked Society comes to life - what it will mean for the industry and how it will enable our customers to capture growth opportunities.