Operator Infrastructure Costs Reduced by up to 50 Percent
TAIPEI, Taiwan--(Business Wire)--
Sequans Communications, the leading WiMAX chipmaker, is enabling
the second transmitter in its mobile station semiconductor products to
boost Mobile WiMAX(TM) system performance. As the only WIMAX chipmaker
providing two transmitters in its complete mobile device product line,
Sequans is able to apply MIMO techniques in the uplink in addition to
the downlink.
"The benefits of uplink MIMO cannot be ignored," said Georges
Karam, Sequans CEO. "WIMAX network operators' recent experiences show
that, as in other wireless networks, coverage is limited by the
uplink. With the diversity introduced by uplink MIMO, up to a 50
percent reduction in infrastructure costs can be achieved with very
little incremental cost to the mobile device and no incremental cost
at the base station."
Through the use of a novel technique called "tile switched
diversity" (TSD), Sequans can bring the benefits of uplink MIMO to any
Mobile WIMAX network, regardless of the base station used. Further
gains can be achieved if an uplink MIMO receiver is implemented at the
base station.
Benefits of Uplink MIMO
The benefits of uplink MIMO can be applied either to extend the
cell coverage or reduce the power consumption and cost of the mobile
device.
Extended Cell Coverage Reduces Cost of Infrastructure
With uplink MIMO, the resultant diversity and combining gains can
nearly double the cell coverage area and hence reduce network
infrastructure costs by up to 50 percent.
Lower Power Consumption Reduces Cost of Devices
Alternatively, uplink MIMO allows the replacement of a single
transmitter and its higher output power amplifier with a dual
transmitter and two 5 or 6 dB lower output power amplifiers,
significantly reducing the total power consumption of the device -- a
key objective in the manufacture of mobile devices. For example, in
fixed gateways and modems, replacement of a single 28 dBm power
amplifier with two smaller 23 dBm power amplifiers reduces total power
consumption of the device by up to 750 mW, resolving thermal issues,
eliminating the need for heat sinks, and therefore lowering the
overall cost of the device.
"Uplink MIMO is pretty much a free benefit, squeezing the most
efficiency possible out of WiMAX networks with little to no
incremental cost," added Karam. "Why would anyone not want to take
advantage of it?"
Uplink MIMO is implemented in all of Sequans' mobile WIMAX
solutions, including the SQN1130 baseband mobile station chip, the
SQN1140 and SQN1145 mobile station RF chips, the SQN1170 integrated
baseband/RF/SDRAM mobile station chip, and the SQN2130 baseband base
station chip.
About Sequans
Sequans Communications is the leading supplier of subscriber
station and base station chips for both fixed and mobile WiMAX, based
on IEEE 802.16-2004 and 802.16e-2005 standards. Sequans has products
that are WiMAX Forum Certified(TM) for both Fixed and Mobile WiMAX,
for both base station and subscriber station technology, and is the
first and only WiMAX chipmaker to achieve this distinction. Sequans
offers equipment manufacturers the most complete and powerful
semiconductor solutions available today, enabling them to build the
widest range of high performing WiMAX network components: femto, pico,
micro and multi-sector macro base stations, outdoor and indoor
subscriber terminals, home gateways, and all types of mobile devices.
www.sequans.com
Sequans Communications
Kimberly Tassin, 206-654-1001
Kimberly@sequans.com
Copyright Business Wire 2008
