Sprint has signed a deal with infrastructure solutions provider CommScope to execute an “extensive deployment” of small cells to support in-building LTE and Wi-Fi.
According to a Tuesday release from CommScope, the cells will not only enhance Sprint’s LTE data speeds indoors but will also allow the carrier to provide managed Wi-Fi hotspot services to enterprises.
The deployment will utilize CommScope’s S1000 small cells, which are suited for use in small- and medium-sized businesses and retail locations. The cells are based on Qualcomm’s FSM small cell and VIVE Wi-Fi chipsets, and support both 2.5 GHz TD-LTE and 802.11ac dual-band, dual-concurrent Wi-Fi.
The S1000 cells have been a part of CommScope’s portfolio since the company acquired Airvana in October 2015.
“The CommScope S1000 small cell, with its support for 2.5GHz LTE and managed Wi-Fi, is a highly cost-effective way for us to give our customers even faster data speeds indoors,” Sprint’s vice president of network development and engineering Jay Bluhm said. “Femtos are an important part of our densification and optimization strategy, enabling us to more efficiently support new services and meet the growing demand for data.”
Sprint declined to provide information about the number of cells to be deployed and the cost of the deployment, but said the cells will primarily be placed in high-traffic business locations in urban markets across the country.
The announcement comes nearly two months after Sprint CFO Tarek Robbiati outlined the carrier’s ambitious plan to build out its small cell network and capitalize on the capacity offered by its high-frequency spectrum.
In March, Robbiati said the carrier would need to deploy “a lot more sites” to effectively utilize its 2.5 GHz assets since higher frequency spectrum doesn’t propagate as far as lower band frequencies. Robbiati said the deployment would focus on economical small cell deployments in both urban and suburban environments.
Earlier this week, however, Sprint revealed it is only planning to invest around $3 billion in capital expenditures in 2016.
The figure sparked some concerns about Sprint’s upgrade plans, but CEO Marcelo Claure said some capital expenditures were pushed into 2017 because the company has to wait for municipal approvals for some of its projects.
Filed Under: Infrastructure
