China Explores Small Cells’ Potential

As China Mobile continues to roll out TD-SCDMA and TD-LTE networks, it faces some of the same coverage gaps encountered elsewhere in the world: spotty indoor coverage, insufficient capacity for crowded public places, and more. In response, the China Mobile Research Institute (CMRI) has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Mindspeed Technologies, Inc. (www.mindspeed.com; see photo). They will collaborate on multiple initiatives related to nanocell research in China.

Nanocell is a newly defined radio-access equipment category. It integrates cellular small-cell and carrier-grade wireless-local-area-networking (WLAN) access points. Mindspeed will work with CMRI in Beijing to accelerate the field trial of TD-LTE small-cell systems across the China Mobile Communications Corp.’s (CMCC’s) network. It also will work on research issues like self-organizing-network (SON) technologies, synchronization methods, and network topology. With more mobile subscribers in China than any other country, the development of a small-cell network is critical to meeting that network’s growing data and traffic demands.