GEC NEWS WIRENokia and the Saudi Telecom Company (STC) have conducted a test of MulteFire technology, which combines the high-performance of LTE with the simplicity of Wi-Fi deployment in unlicensed spectrum bands such as 5GHz.
The test – which used Nokia’s FlexiZone small cells together with MulteFire software – showed how MulteFire can co-exist with Wi-Fi to deliver the high performance, high speeds and security offered by LTE in a densely populated environment. MulteFire complements heterogeneous networks (HetNets), which use a mixture of macro and small cell radios, allowing operators to meet the increased connectivity demands of future smart cities and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Nasser Al-Nasser, Senior Vice President, Technology and Operations, STC, said, “We are the first operator in the world to have successfully conducted the test of MulteFire technology with Nokia. This test underpins our commitment to explore and identify the latest technologies that can further boost the overall service experience for our subscribers even as demand continues to grow.”
Waseem Al-Marzogi, Head of STC Group Business, Nokia, said, “As one of the founding members of the MulteFire Alliance, Nokia is driving the development of a global technical specification, and this test is a crucial step toward commercialization of the technology. By collaborating with operators like STC, we can develop new ways of utilizing spectrum such as 5GHz to meet the network demands of today and tomorrow.”
