OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (BUSINESS WIRE), November 10, 2011 – Sprint (NYSE:S, news, filings) today announced it is working with AirWalk CommunicationsTM Inc., a leader in small cell solutions, to add AirWalk’s enterprise femtocell to Sprint’s in-building solutions product portfolio. The product branded Sprint AIRAVE Pro Connect is available now for Sprint’s Custom Network Solutions customers to accommodate the rapid growth of indoor mobile traffic. AIRAVE Pro Connect is the world’s first enterprise-grade CDMA femtocell.
The AIRAVE Pro Connect allows Sprint to expand voice and data service to new venues and grow their customer base with a cost-effective, in-building solution. The enterprise femtocell is being deployed to increase coverage and capacity at enterprises, campuses, government buildings and other public venues as part of Sprint’s established standards-based IMS, 3GPP2 femtocell platform. Compared to traditional in-building solutions, the AIRAVE Pro Connect helps promote reduced costs, faster deployments, and off loads voice and data usage from the macro network.
Building on Sprint’s ongoing relationship with Ericsson for Sprint Network Advantage and Sprint Network Vision, Ericsson serves as the primary integrator for Sprint’s femtocell platform which supports multiple device manufacturers and venue-specific femtocell devices.
“Our AIRAVE Pro Connect trial customers have experienced exceptional in-building service for both voice and data,” said Mike McRoberts, director of product management – Sprint. “Smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices are becoming essential everyday communication tools for business customers. The enterprise femtocell will help Sprint expand its in-building opportunities and proactively accommodate the anticipated traffic growth for in-building mobile devices.”
“Sprint’s leadership in deploying femtocells matched with AirWalk’s expertise in developing cost-effective and reliable small cells has made this a highly successful project,” said Serge Pequeux, president and CEO – AirWalk. “This compact, self-optimizing device simplifies operational costs and provides superior customer service by offloading traffic to where it is being generated.”
The AIRAVE Pro Connect helps to reduce costs and facilitate faster deployments compared to traditional solutions. The device is a 3G CDMA, dual-mode (1xEV-DO and 1xRTT) device that accommodates up to 32 data and 29 voice users simultaneously. The enterprise femtocell has a wall-mount package with self-optimizing, plug-and-play installation and has multi-device clustering capabilities to support larger coverage areas.
The AIRAVE Pro Connect supports Sprint’s overall commitment to environmental sustainability. According to a recent study, femtocells in general require less electrical power per user, improve battery life of subscriber devices, utilize existing backhaul, are more RF-efficient, and can even be easily powered off during down times.
The AirWalk enterprise femtocell is manufactured in the United States and will be the foundation for Sprint’s next-generation 4G products.
For more information about femtocells, please visit www.femtoforum.org.
About Sprint Nextel
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served more than 53 million customers at the end of 3Q 2011 and is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 3 in its 2011 Green Rankings, listing it as one of the nation’s greenest companies, the highest of any telecommunications company. You can learn more and visit Sprint at www.sprint.com or www.facebook.com/sprint and www.twitter.com/sprint.
About AirWalk
AirWalk Communications, Inc. is a leader in innovative small cell solutions. AirWalk’s portfolio, consisting of femtocells, enterprise femtocells, picocells and microcells, complements the existing macro network by enabling operators to extend coverage and capacity in high-density areas. As operators deploy 4G/LTE networks, small cells play a vital role in delivering seamless coverage and capacity, and AirWalk’s unique flat IP architecture is the preferred solution for small cell deployments. Established in 2002, AirWalk is a privately held CDMA and LTE radio access network company with a customer base consisting of wireless operators worldwide. For more information, visit www.airwalkcom.com and www.twitter.com/airwalkcom.
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Contact(s):
Sprint
Stephanie Greenwood, 913-315-1612
stephanie.greenwood@sprint.com
or
AirWalk Communications
Sharon Roberts, 469-484-4732
sroberts@airwalkcom.com
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