Nokia to launch first MulteFire small cell for private LTE in Q2

Nokia has revealed that the world's first small cell using MulteFire LTE-based technology operating in unlicensed or shared spectrum will be made commercially available in the second quarter of 2018. The new small cell, dubbed the Nokia Flexi Zone MulteFire Multiband Pico BTS, will allow companies to connect mobile sensor-enabled 'things' and people more efficiently, enabling new business models and paving the way towards future 5G connectivity, said Nokia. The company added that private LTE will help transform operations for industries and enterprises in segments such as logistics, energy, mining, transportation, manufacturing, venues and smart cities.

The Nokia Flexi Zone MulteFire Multiband Pico BTS is a compact 4-litre outdoor and indoor small cell that offers support for multiple carriers using the new MulteFire radio access technology standard and enabling throughput of up to 300 Mbps as well as coverage via up to 1W of RF power, the maximum allowed in unlicensed spectrum.

In addition, neutral host capability support will enable owners of public buildings such as hotels, venues, traffic hubs and subways to lease the private LTE network to mobile providers. Mobile service providers will also be able to expand their mobile enterprise offer to companies in regions of the world outside of their licensed spectrum footprint.

Nokia will be demonstrating the capabilities of the Flexi Zone MulteFire small cell over an end-to-end private LTE network at next month’s Mobile World Congress 2018 in Barcelona.