By Günther Ottendorfer, Chief Operating Officer – Technology
It’s been one month since Sprint Magic Box, the world’s first all-wireless small cell, made its debut, and the customer response is fantastic! Across the country this innovative extension of our network toolbox is making the best use of our Band 41 / 2.5 GHz spectrum to dramatically improve data service for our customers.
Accelerating the densification of our network, the Magic Box is a small cell with unique functionalities:
- IT connects wirelessly to the nearest macro site of the network. No wire needed. Only power.
- Because of the wireless connection it is plug n’ play and typically installs within 10 minutes. It serves about 30,000 sq. ft indoors.
- With the outdoor section it densifies coverage and improves customer experience on the street, in nearly buildings and surrounding structures.
Sprint Magic Box is a great solution for any space – from large public venues to living rooms:
Last month, Sprint teamed up with American Airlines for their fourth annual “Hack Wars” event in Austin, Texas, attended by more than 700 designers, developers, business experts and technology partners. Less than one hour into the event, the hotel Wi-Fi system displayed a lack of capacity to support the volume of data being used, so Sprint stepped in with a Magic Box. In just minutes we were up and running with more capacity, giving Sprint customers at the event a great data experience.
Mid May I had the pleasure of visiting officials from the city of Kansas City, Missouri, and taking a quick tour of their Magic Box deployment inside the City Hall office tower. Because of the building’s three-feet-thick concrete walls, mobile service was weak deep inside the building. But after the city’s IT department deployed Magic Boxes with us to cover the upper 20 floors, speeds increased to 30-40 Mbps. In fact, city employees say that the data signal actually strengthens now toward the center of the building rather than disappearing! You can find a link to the KC Star article and video interview here:
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