By Vladan Jevremovic, PhD – Research Director at iBwave
With the emergence of 4G wireless technology, today’s consumers have come to expect fast and pervasive internet access while on the go, in the same way that they would experience it at home or at the office.
Wireless carriers increasingly understand how the user’s experience is affected by their ability to access the network in public venues.
This is particularly true as heavy internet users tend to engage in web surfing or downloading activities when idle, or when using public transport for their daily commute, waiting at the airport, strolling in the shopping mall or during halftime at the stadium.
As a result, most funding for indoor wireless networks is now allocated to venues with the highest subscriber density, such as:
Airports
Stadiums and arenas
Underground public transportation (subways)
Shopping malls
While the network design and implementation requirements can vary widely depending on the environment, there are also many commonalities.
In this white paper published by Vladan Jevremovic, we will discuss the typical indoor wireless systems, RF design challenges and best practices for public venues, while taking into account 4G network performance requirements.
The wireless world might be fast-paced but it is also A LOT OFFUN and let’s be honest, nothing is more gratifying that to know that your technology can have a significant impact in the way people interact in their everyday life.
QUICK FLASHBACK:
In February last year, iBwave’s software tools were selected by AT&T to enhance the network capacity at Chicago’s Historic Navy Pier®. Since then, an impressive 8.9 MILLION VISITORS(Chicagoans of course, but also tourists from around the world) have enjoyed a great customer experience there, be it texting while waiting in line for the 15-story tall Ferris wheel, using their smartphones to purchase IMAX® movie tickets or simply calling from the parking garage. Now, I’d say that is a SERIOUSLY FUN way to stay connected and share your experience with your friends and family!
NOW, FAST FORWARD TO TODAY:
As part of our latest in-building seminar which drew close to 60 wireless professionals, we once again had another great success story, about another engaging customer experience at another Chicago landmark, to share.
Mike Alt, Director of RF Engineering, spent some time to talk about the project scope and requirements as well as the challenges that arose, particularly in terms of antenna placements – as aesthetics, museum exhibit areas and cable pathways were obviously major considerations. To illustrate his points further, Mike shared the comprehensive network layouts and predictions that were carried out during the planning and design process to accurately assess the capacity and coverage for each level.
But there again, the goal was ultimately to deliver a SUPERIOR MOBILE EXPERIENCE!
The 610,000 square-foot MSI typically hosts 1.4 million guests per year
SO, WHAT’S NEXT?
Well, if DAS systems were certainly a hot topic of discussion during our seminar, Small Cells were also prominently featured throughout the day, and our team (Dan Zych, Debra Mercier and Mekki Bennis from the U.S region but also Benoit Fleury from iBwave corporate HQ in Montreal) used the opportunity to discuss the new technologies and tools that have brought about a PARADIGM SHIFT in the in-building industry.
And what better way to do that than to use recent case studies that have been conducted with U.S tier-1 operators and which have clearly demonstrated the benefits of our award-winning mobile app which translates into faster turn-around times (60% faster than traditional methods) and significant cost savings!
“It’s about involving your field personnel and empowering them to take design decisions”
AUTHOR’S NOTE: As this tied in very well with the Hetnet Expo program, iBwave received a lot of media coverage during the event. Mekki was indeed interviewed by Urgent Communications who released this neat iBwave Mobile Planner demo video. As for RCR Wireless, they issued a great article entitled “Top skill sets for DAS engineers” –with cool testimonials from CommScope, ADRF as well as JMA Wireless – that addresses the specific need for training and certification programs.
To conclude the day, we thought that it would be interesting to advance the dialogue and get the pulse on what’s really happening with Small Cells and network deployments in general.
We therefore invited major industry players (Calvin Fu from AT&T, Asad Vaince from Boingo, Curt Klausen from Fullerton Engineering, Joseph Kurdas from Sprint and John Wierzgac from WZC Networking) to participate in a rapid-fire session so that they could share their insights and experiences with other participants.
This proved extremely successful, providing an opportunity for a well-rounded discussion that continued well past the seminar and during our networking cocktail.
So, today, we’d like to take some time to thank all those of you who attended our event. It’s always a pleasure to be able to catch up with you and as mentioned earlier…
“The wireless world might be fast-paced but it is also A LOT OF FUN. We @ iBwave love working with you all!
If you’ve been keeping up to date with Malmö’s music and cultural scenes, you’ve probably heard about Malmö Live: Malmö’s state-of-the-art conference, concert and hotel center that is due to open in the summer of 2015 and that will offer world-class acoustics and multiple stages for Malmö Symphony Orchestra. But did you know that iBwave was a key player in the project?
The news was revealed through a press release by We Consulting, the fast-growing telecom consulting firm that was selected to deliver optimal indoor mobile capacity and coverage services.
“Our proven expertise, combined with iBwave’s sophisticated software, open up great possibilities to change and develop network wireless designs, allowing us to build high quality indoor mobile networks for shopping malls and other large public spaces in a more efficient way ”- Patrik Olsson, Business Operations Manager at We Consulting
Well, Patrick is right to talk about the value of partnerships – particularly at a time when the market in Western Europe continues to gain considerable traction, and operators are starting to work closer together to meet the demand for indoor DAS and small cells coverage.
The Malmö Live project is the fruit of a successful collaboration between Sweden’s largest telecom operators, Skanska, the city of Malmö, Nordic Choice Hotels Clarion and Malmö Symphonic Orchestra
Coincidentally, the subject of collaboration was also high on the agenda during our seminar which took place in Stockholm last week. Although a significant portion of time was devoted to Small Cell technologies, LTE networks (and more specifically, LTE optimization for stadiums) and real-world deployments, our guest speaker, Lars Jessen from Eltel Networks, clearly underlined the challenges and increased complexity of solutions (multi-operators using multiple frequencies and technologies, high-density solutions etc.) and the need for adequate tools and industry partners.
3d Modeling for Stadiums and Arenas
The team also presented a series of interactive demos and workshops to further illustrate the benefits of “TRUE 360 DEGREE COLLABORATION”!
Overall, the event fostered positive feedback and dynamic exchanges, and it was a real pleasure to learn from your experiences in the field. We hope that you enjoyed it too!
Thanks to Erik Nilsson (Sales Manager for Europe), Bob Froger (Director of Sales, EMEA) and the rest of the team for putting this successful seminar together and to all those who took the time out of their busy schedules to attend. Congratulations also to our two winners Vincent Fasquelle and Ilya Kryuchkov who both go home with a free iBwave Certification seat! See you all again soon and let’s meet again in Munich if you are planning on attending our European User Group, our networking cocktail or the DAS and Small Cells Europe.
As iBwave friends, you are entitled to a 15% discount on the DAS and Small Cells Congress Europe registration fee. Operators will also receive one complimentary all-access pass for the event. Please contact Kristy Perkins (k.perkins@americanconference.com) to redeem your discount or for additional information
Prochain arrêt. PARIS, FRANCE!
Michael Kolchesky
Après notre courte escale à Stockholm, il est grand temps de reprendre la route (ou en l’occurrence les airs !) et de se rendre à Paris pour notre deuxième séminaire de la rentrée.
À l’hôtel Novotel Paris Vaugirard Montparnasse, tout est prêt pour recevoir nos participants et pour discuter, pardon my French, de réseaux « indoor », de « smartphones », de « small cells » et de« neutral host » (Merci Bob pour le briefing préliminaire !).
Comme lors de notre rencontre de l’année dernière (qui, rappelez-vous, s’était tenue le jour de la Saint-Valentin), les discussions ont suscité beaucoup d’intérêt et donné lieu à de nombreux échanges, notamment sur le neutral host, sur le LTE au service de la sécurité publique ou sur la question épineuse de la sous-traitance du IBS – et ce d’autant plus que nous avions la chance d’avoir, parmi nous, des représentants des trois principaux opérateurs nationaux, ainsi qu’un échantillon assez représentatif de l’écosystème du marché indoor en France.
L’industrie des communications sans fil connaissant une croissance rapide, en France comme un peu partout dans le monde, nous en avons bien entendu profité pour faire le point sur les tendances du marché et pour partager les nouvelles actualités d’iBwave.
En France, les opérateurs investissent massivement dans la capacité de leurs réseaux, au bénéfice des acteurs du web comme Google, Facebook, Apple etc. On observe également une forte demande indoor pour les stades, particulièrement à l’approche d’évènements de grande envergure comme le championnat d’Europe de football 2016.
Avis aux intéressés et petit scoop : la version 6.5 d’iBwave Design est désormais disponible et comporte de nombreuses fonctionnalités, mais saviez-vous que le lancement de la nouvelle version d’iBwave Mobile est elle aussi imminente ? Oh, et comme les bonnes nouvelles n’arrivent jamais seules, nous allons aussi proposer une nouvelle formation sur les Small Cells ! Intéressant, non ? Suivez-nous sur Facebook ou sur LinkedIn pour être les premiers à être informés.
Là encore, la journée a été particulièrement productive, et nous avons beaucoup retiré de cette rencontre. Merci à tous pour votre participation et votre contribution au dialogue! Au revoir Paris!
