Ericsson brings solution to poor telecom network coverage
The dropping of mobile phone signals in office buildings is an everyday reality in Bangladesh in spite of the huge technological transformation in the country's fast-growing telecom sector in recent years.
But, respite might be on the way, if Swedish telecom-equipment giant Ericsson's tie-up with local mobile phone operators to deploy its Radio Dot System is anything to go by.
The set-up, which uses an innovative, high-performance radio system called radio dot, is said to improve indoor mobile network coverage and offer customers the best possible network experience.
"We will be deploying it in Dhaka within the next quarter," Raj J, managing director of Ericsson Bangladesh, said on Thursday.
He said his company is in discussion with mobile phone operators on how the radio can be integrated into their networks so they can reap benefits.
"It is a full-fledged 3G radio base station. There is no other product like this currently. In practice, it will ensure that customers have access to fast and reliable indoor mobile connectivity and enjoy the best possible network experience."
Launched in September 2013, the small, disc-shaped Radio Dot system integrates a dot antenna, which is linked to an indoor radio component through LAN cables and then to the neighbouring macro base station.
It consists of multiple disc-shaped radio broadcasters called Dots. Each Dot can provide high-quality access to mobile broadband and voice services for the surrounding area, and multiple Dots can be used together to broaden the coverage indoors.
The system enables mobile operators to deliver consistently high-performance voice and data coverage and capacity in the broadest range of enterprise buildings and public venues, including the underserved, high growth, medium-to-large building and venue category.
Office buildings in Bangladesh would be the first to lay their hands on the new system, said the CEO of Ericsson Bangladesh.
"Most of the data users from 9-to-5 are coming from office spaces. So, the first port of call is to address the data density in a network. Offices are data hungry buildings."
"About 70 percent of the data is consumed indoor. Hence, you have to build capacity within the buildings," he said, adding that gradually it would be made available for single individual homes.
He said the current system is expensive and time-consuming too. The radio dot takes away the time and all the civil works and brings efficiency.
Raj said as the number of internet users is increasing tremendously, the current base stations are struggling to provide them quality service.
Abdus Salam, chief technology officer of Ericsson Bangladesh, said an operator's network performance determines its subscriber base and customer loyalty, while quoting the findings of the Ericsson ConsumerLab survey in Bangladesh.
The survey found that mobile subscribers give priority to overall network performance.
"The introduction of Radio Dot System could herald an end to any more new towers for capacity to reach building clients. However, we will need existing towers for macro coverage."
The Ericsson Bangladesh MD also touched upon the huge transformational changes the telecom industry is going through right now.
"Now, whatever you can imagine can be connected and sent through over the air. Overall, we are seeing huge transformation."
He said users are really dictating what kinds of content they want to consume and how. It is now very much a user-driven world.
Raj also said in the next three years six million mobile subscribers would join the country's industry per year.
"Subscription would depend on how soon machine-to-machine and connected device take off, which can pave the way for 10 million subscriptions per year. The growth for data or mobile internet will come from mobile phones."
He said there has been 500 percent increase in data usage in the last one year. "We see a similar trend moving forward. Data consumption will drive the growth of networks in Bangladesh."
About the competition in the telecommunication network business, he said: "Ericsson is on a growth path in the areas that we need to improve, and we will maintain our growth where we are already a leader."
He said Ericsson has the largest portfolio of tools and experience for optimising apps coverage.
While talking about the internet of things during a video conferencing from Australia, Warren Chaisatien, head of marketing for Ericsson Australia & New Zealand, said their conservative estimate is that 50 billion things or devices would be connected with the internet by 2020. "It could be even more."
He explained the broad set of new launches support operator needs across network evolution, IT transformation and opportunities for innovation and revenue growth.
Ericsson has identified a potential $14 trillion in efficiency and hidden value in the transport and healthcare sectors alone, he said, quoting Ericsson CEO Hans Vestberg.
Burcu Turel, head of external communications for South East Asia and Oceania Region, and Mehnaz Kabir, head of communications of Ericsson Bangladesh, also took part during the briefing.
Founded in 1876, the world's top network-equipment maker has its headquarters in Stockholm. Its net sales in 2014 were $33.1 billion. It supports networks that connect more than 2.5 billion subscribers; and 40 percent of the world's mobile traffic is carried over the Swedish company's networks.
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