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IN FOCUS: UMTS RAN:
If you have Node B or RNC brochures, trade show reports, pictures or other material,
Please email those to info@umtsworld.com
Please do NOT send us confidential information, documents or anything that is not meant to be distributed outside your company.
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UMTS RAN
Choosing the radio access network (RAN) to your 3G network is a difficult task. RAN is major part of the full 3G network order, there are big technical difference between Node Bs and RNCs. Vendors’ prices and financial arrangements vary and the operator have to make a very long term commitment when selecting a vendor. All vendors basically have (at least on a drawing board) outdoor version, compact outdoor version, indoor version and compact indoor version. Some of those Node B's will come with additional features like air-conditioning, higher Tx power rating, additional amplifiers and vandal proofing. Outdoor base station is normally the more popular version, as it can also be installed indoors in dusty or unprotected areas. Main thing is to decide first what is important for your network and organization and base your RAN vendor choice on that. Here are some technical criteria how to choose your Node B’s and RNC:
Product range
Availability of standard UMTS features
Proprietary features and add-ons
RAN compatibilities with other vendors networks
Ease of commissioning and O&M
Vendor’s FDD-TDD road map
Node B configuration options
Node B trx density
Node B power consumption
Production and delivery capabilities
Production quality system
Warranty
Vendor track record
Offered special antenna systems
On-country support and after sales services
It never hurts to ask a vendor’s opinion about RAN selection criteria and their opinion about the other RAN vendors' products. Their answers will tell a lot. If you are looking to buy several thousand Node Bs there are quite a few companies that can supply those for you. Here are the main UMTS Node B vendors and their hardware. You can compare how UMTS base stations look and evaluate their features. Our 3G vendor hardware database will be regularly updated:
UMTS FDD Node B list:
Alcatel (Fujitsu)
Ericsson
Fujitsu (Alcatel)
Huawei
LG, coming up hopefully soon [External link]
Lucent
Kevab
Motorola
NEC (Siemens)
Nokia
Nortel
Samsung
Siemens (NEC)
Solar Telecom Technology NEW
UTStarcom [External link]
ZTE [External link] NEW
UMTS TDD Node B list:
IPWireless
Siemens
Wireless 3G 4 free [External link]
More:
PA Consulting Group develops the world’s first all-software base band for W-CDMA 3G base stations.
picoChip Designs Ltd announced it has made 3G call using a software-defined basestation.
Soma Networks W-CDMA basestation.
If other companies start to manufacture Node Bs, we will include them to our list. We will keep our eye on companies like Hitachi, Hyundai, Marconi, Matsushita/Panasonic, Mitsubishi and Philips. All these companies have showed some interest in 3G systems.
If an UMTS RAN vendor is missing from this list, please email info@umtsworld.com and we will add that to our list.
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