Nokia, Harris team to provide deployable LTE solution

NEW ORLEANS–Nokia Networks and Harris have collaborated on a deployable LTE solution that is designed for rapid deployment in areas with little or no coverage, where there has been a network outage, or where additional capacity is needed during a special event.

With training and practice, users can deploy the trailer solution in an hour or less, providing first providers fast access to 4G coverage and the data sharing it enables, company officials said.

The solution was announced this week in conjunction with the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials (APCO) conference in New Orleans, where a deployable with an antenna mast that can go up to 60 feet is on display at the Harris booth (the maximum possible mast height is 90 feet). Nokia is taking orders for the customizable deployable now.

“Here’s LTE mobile broadband for critical communications when and where you need it,” Mark Combs, account director of government and public safety for Nokia, said in an interview with IWCE’s Urgent Communications. “It will do three things, in a nutshell: network restoration, network extension and remote incident response.

“The idea is, how do we bring this commercial technology to places where it’s not there?”

The deployable is a field-transportable eNodeB—the base station for LTE—system that can run on various power sources, including diesel gas, hydrogen fuel cell or direct AC/DC connection. The deployable being demonstrated at the show has a diesel engine with enough battery backup to last two days.

There are also several different options for backhaul, such as Wi-Fi, optical Ethernet, microwave and/or satellite. The deployable at the show is integrated with a point-to-point microwave solution, according to David Debrecht, chief technology officer (CTO) for Nokia. It also can be equipped with a core network and application server that would ensure local connectivity in the event of backhaul failure.

“The backhaul options are pretty wide open,” Debrecht said Monday on the show floor.

While some interference is possible, Combs said that isn’t expected to be a problem, because deployables likely will be used in areas lacking in infrastructure. But, if interference is an issue, he said it should be easily resolved by adjusting the settings, like lowering the height of the antenna or reducing the power.