Press Release
INWIT, Italy’s largest provider of neutral host services, is collaborating with CommScope to deliver superior mobile voice and data services to its historical landmarks and major venues.
The investment will deliver nimble, digital infrastructures, giving customers, visitors, employees and tenants a first-class, in-building wireless experience.
INWIT designs, installs and operates in-building wireless solutions for all types of enterprises and public venues. It will deploy CommScope Era, an all-digital Era C-RAN antenna system for multi-operator projects at venues throughout Italy, including the Fortezza da Basso Conference Centre and the Congress Palace, both in Florence.
INWIT will benefit from Era’s all-digital, software-centric architecture and its ability to flexibly allocate mobile capacity from a small footprint, centralised “head end”. This significantly improves the economics of delivering in-building wireless services when compared with traditional distributed antenna systems (DAS).
“INWIT is committed to providing reliable, multi-operator, in-building wireless connectivity for all types of public and private organisations. Our neutral host business model allows mobile operators to optimise their investments by sharing network infrastructure,” said Giovanni Ferigo, chief executive officer, INWIT. “By collaborating with CommScope, INWIT drives down cost barriers to in-building wireless by providing one shared infrastructure that can support all operators at all venues.”
“Reliable, ultra-fast mobile coverage in what we consider the birthplace of Western civilisation will enhance the experience of locals and the thousands of visitors who explore museums, stadiums, conference centres, train stations and other historical landmarks,” said Samuel Buttarelli, vice president of DAS and small cells, CommScope.
Era now features a direct CPRI interface to Nokia baseband units (BBUs) and a family of remotes ranging in power from 60 milliwatts to 20 watts, to support virtually any building structure and its adjacent outdoor spaces. As a single in-building wireless platform that can scale from office buildings to the largest stadiums, Era meets INWIT’s needs for flexibility and operational efficiency. INWIT’s success in deploying solutions throughout Italy illustrates the flexibility and attractive economics of the C-RAN antenna system.
The country’s service providers are seeking 5G-ready technologies to keep up with the intense subscriber demand for more wireless bandwidth by adding capacity to their networks. Inherent in its digital architecture, Era establishes a highly-efficient multiplexed fibre front-haul architecture that supports today’s LTE and 3G services and can be used for 5G in the future.
