Tarana Wireless Launches AbsoluteAir Universal Backhaul Solution

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tarana Wireless™, the pioneer in developing the first universal small cell backhaul solution, introduced its unprecedented AbsoluteAir™ product line today. With Universal Backhaul™ operation, it enables 3G/4G small cells to be deployed virtually anywhere while meeting mobile carrier requirements for sustained high capacity in both non-line of sight (NLoS) and line-of-sight (LoS) operation. Tarana has solved a complex problem that until now has hindered large-scale small cell rollouts in metropolitan areas and delivers this at the lowest total cost of ownership.

“Scaling small cell backhaul in terms of performance and density has been a significant hurdle for vendors but is an essential market need. In order to meet these challenges Tarana has created a new wireless paradigm with their CMP topology”

The AbsoluteAir product line was designed and built as carrier grade from the ground up and is based upon the Tarana Topology™, a unique Concentrating Multipoint™ (CMP) architecture that features high capacity and availability. While a typical point-to-multipoint topology shares capacity among the links connected to a hub, in high load situations this typically results in reduced, non-deterministic per-link bandwidth and increased latency. In contrast, CMP delivers a full 75 Mbps backhaul capacity to each small cell and enables the number of links to scale as data demand grows, without degrading per-link capacity.

“Scaling small cell backhaul in terms of performance and density has been a significant hurdle for vendors but is an essential market need. In order to meet these challenges Tarana has created a new wireless paradigm with their CMP topology,” said Nick Marshall, principal analyst, ABI Research.

Tarana’s patent pending advanced signal processing algorithms are used to optimize link performance. Unlike existing products in the market today that significantly compromise capacity and range in NLoS mode, AbsoluteAir delivers full data rate on every link even in dense small cell deployments at a range of 2-4km in NLoS, and practically unconstrained in LoS operation.

Leveraging Universal Frequency Reuse, AbsoluteAir products can be deployed across an entire metro area. Each link utilizes the same 10 MHz channel while maintaining full link capacity, providing seamless scalability from sparse to dense small cell deployments. This also allows carriers to maximize utilization of their scarce and costly spectral resources. Supporting licensed and lightly licensed TDD bands from 2.5-3.7 GHz, AbsoluteAir enables small cell deployments worldwide.

Unlike any other solution, the AbsoluteAir antenna has a 100° aperture that dynamically aligns, eliminating time-consuming alignment during both setup and ongoing operation. This ability also minimizes network planning and installation time and effort. Industry standard RF planning tools can be utilized to design the small cell backhaul network without the need for frequency planning or extensive on-site surveys. AbsoluteAir nodes require just 15 minutes for installation and commissioning to full operation. Upon power-up, nodes automatically associate to establish the link, and current configuration data is seamlessly downloaded over the air from the central management system.

As a result of its unique combination of features, AbsoluteAir delivers the lowest total cost of ownership of any wireless small cell backhaul product and truly provides small cell backhaul without compromise.

“AbsoluteAir was designed to meet requests from global carriers for a cost effective backhaul solution that could be easily and quickly deployed anywhere and everywhere across a metro area, without compromising on performance or scalability. I am happy to report that recent urban network tests confirm that our target specifications have been achieved,” said Sergiu Nedevschi, executive vice president, chief product officer, and co-founder, Tarana Wireless.

Tarana AbsoluteAir Product Line

The AbsoluteAir product line consists of Concentrator Nodes (CNs), End Nodes (ENs), and an Element Management System (EMS). Each EN connects directly via Ethernet to a small cell providing it with a full 75 Mbps dedicated backhaul capacity. The CN aggregates links for up to four ENs providing 300 Mbps capacity in a single 10 MHz channel – delivering spectral efficiency of 30 bits per second per hertz. A CN may be co-located with a macro cell where direct access to high capacity connectivity to the carrier’s core network is readily available. By leveraging existing carrier sites for CN installations, significant ongoing operating cost benefits are realized.

The Tarana EMS is used for configuration and operations, providing centralized visibility of all CN and EN nodes. It employs a web-based interface and supports a variety of industry-standard interfaces to reporting tools as well as business and network management applications.

Tarana’s AbsoluteAir solution is being tested in multiple carrier trials in the U.S. and Europe beginning this calendar quarter. The Company will showcase the products publicly for the first time at the 2013 Mobile World Congress, February 25-28 in Barcelona, Spain (stand 6C94).

About Tarana Wireless

Headquartered in Santa Clara, CA, Tarana Wireless has pioneered the development of AbsoluteAir, the world’s only Universal Backhaul solution that meets mobile carrier requirements for metropolitan small cell backhaul deployments. It provides the flexibility and simplicity of deploying wireless backhaul anywhere small cells are located without compromising capacity or link reliability. Built from the ground up as a carrier class product, this breakthrough innovation combines ubiquitous coverage, unprecedented capacity and scalability, and unparalleled cost effectiveness in both NLoS and LoS installations that cannot be met by any other offering.

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