Nokia Siemens Networks

Flexi Zone
2 Scalable, cost-effective Flexi Zone tackles the tidal wave of data
The number of mobile internet users
will surpass desktop users within three
years*. With smartphone-enabled 3G,
social networking, video streaming and
VoIP on the horizon, a storm of data is
heading operators way.
Faster radio access technology can
help LTE will deliver between four
and ten times todays capacity but
there is a physical limit on how much
further future generations of radio
technology can improve capacity using
the same spectrum. The limited
technical improvements that will be
available, such as fighting interference
and complex upgrades to antennas,
may not be practical in all markets.
Whats more, even with these
increases, its only a matter of time
before exponential traffic growth begins
to outpace the technology. Current
estimates predict that traffic volumes
will shoot up 1,000 times by 2020.
Might cell-splitting (deploying more
sites) be the answer? With massive
pressure on costs, augmenting the
traditional network infrastructure in this
way wont be feasible for many
operators. Instead, theyre increasingly
looking for other network topologies
and delivery mechanisms to provide
more cost-effective ways of easing the
load on their existing infrastructure.
Operators are therefore exploring the
possibility of deploying networks of
smaller cells to underlay the macro
network and effectively increase the
density of coverage. Offloading traffic
to these small-cell networks increases
capacity and performance by reducing
the number of subscribers on each
macro cell. Fewer people draw on the
networks resources and performance
improves, delivering a better
experience for every user.
However, deploying tens or hundreds
of thousands of small cells brings
significant new challenges. For
example, the extra control traffic
generated in these heterogeneous
networks could swamp the transport
and core networks, there will be
substantial interference between the
macro- and small-cell networks and
backhaul bottlenecks must be avoided.
Heterogeneous networks are also far
more complex than traditional macro
networks, so some form of self-
organization will be required to
automate many of the usual manual
processes involved in controlling and
optimizing network operations.
Flexi Zone from Nokia Siemens
Networks uses a unique architecture
to solve all these challenges and
deliver a series of unique benefits.
Lighten the load with
Flexi Zone
The Nokia Siemens Networks Flexi
Zone suite is a 3G/LTE/WiFi-capable
cellular solution engineered to offload
traffic from the macro network and
increase capacity by providing
co-ordinated underlay networks at
a street and indoor level, both for
individual subscribers and enterprises.
Flexi Zone features a zone covered
by a cluster of low-power access points
connected to a local controller. This
configuration enables operators to
provide a remarkably rich user
experience while offloading unwanted
data traffic from their macro and core
networks.
Flexi Zone is a safe investment
because its easy to scale to satisfy
changing capacity and performance
demands. Whats more, it lightens the
backhaul load and impact on the EPC
(Evolved Packet Core), manages radio
frequency interference and simplifies
operation. All that adds up to a total
cost of ownership (TCO) thats
considerably lower than for
conventional macro and small-cell
deployments. Equipped with powerful
features such as local policy definition
and enforcement, Flexi Zone can also
provide excellent service to enterprises
with converged mobile and private
LAN access.
Up to 5x the number of BTS
sites will be required by 2015.
Scalable, cost-effective Flexi Zone
tackles the tidal wave of data.
*According to Morgan Stanley.
2
3 Scalable, cost-effective Flexi Zone tackles the tidal wave of data
Family of solutions
There are two key elements at the
heart of Flexi Zone the Flexi Zone
access point and the Flexi Zone
controller. This cost-effective and
reliable solution is fully integrated with
the Nokia Siemens Networks NetAct
management platform and
complements the Macro Flexi BTS,
Flexi Lite and Home Femto solutions
well. Flexi Zone is also the small-cell
cornerstone of the Nokia Siemens
Networks Liquid Radio heterogeneous
network solution.
A Flexi Zone access point can also run
as a stand-alone pico LTE base station
to address highly localized hot spots.
If the area later becomes a heavily
used hot zone, the access point can
be software-upgraded and a controller
can be added to convert it into a
full-fledged Flexi Zone.
When and where?
Flexi Zone will be available
commercially by the end of 2012.
Customer trials are already taking
place, and Nokia Siemens Networks
is running its own demonstration
network in Arlington Heights
(a suburb of Chicago).
The concept of small cell deployment
is also gaining traction. Coverage will
be the main driver through 2012, while
capacity will become more important
from 2013. Operators in densely
populated mature markets are
expected to lead the way, with the rest
of the world catching up as emerging
markets continue to develop. Flexi
Zone will be ready to be deployed in
conjunction with the Nokia Siemens
Networks Flexi base station at the
macro-network level, providing a
co-ordinated, multi-layer
heterogeneous network complete
with self-organizing network (SON)
capabilities.
Flexi Zone is set to become the
benchmark for a new kind of solution.
It will help operators add capacity to
existing macro networks and boost the
subscriber experience by pro-actively
adapting their network capabilities in
advance of evolving wireless
broadband trends. In other words,
it enables operators to always offer a
best-in-class user experience with the
lowest TCO.
Backhaul connectivity
Perf, cost & complexity
Offloading & local routing/policy
Backhaul/EPC impact
Security & service availability
Optimization
100k cells...
Ease of installation
100k cells...
Management
100k cells...
Electrical power

Mobility/quality of service
Transparent to user
Performance
Macro collaboration
An end-to-end approach is imperative.
EPC impact
100k cells... signaling load
Macro layer/coexistence
Interference, coordination
The challenges of building a small-cell underlay
Flexi Zone
egress point
Flexi Zone controller
Flexi Zone
outdoor AP
Macro eNodeB
+ Alternative
location for
Flexi Zone controller
Flexi Zone
egress point
3
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Nokia Siemens Networks
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