Multiflow in fast lane at MWC

At next week’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain, Nokia Siemens Networks will present the first ever demo of HSPA+Multiflow on commercial infrastructure equipment, delivering up to double data speeds at the edge of a cell’s reach.

Operators will be able to offer enhanced mobile broadband with a new feature for HSPA+ networks from Nokia Siemens Networks and Qualcomm. Known as HSPA+ Multiflow, it allows devices located close to the edge of a mobile base station’s cell to connect with a second base station serving a neighbouring cell. The ‚Multiflow’ name refers to the two different paths data can then take to reach a device. The feature makes far more efficient use of network resources, delivering up to double the data speed and up to 50% faster response compared to existing HSPA+ networks.

A live demonstration at the Mobile World Congress 2012 will be based on Nokia Siemens Networks’ commercial Single RAN offering and Qualcomm’s prototype USB dongles.

‚With 100 million smart devices being added every month, we see a consequent increase in ‚smart’ applications that make use of their advanced capabilities. Not only is network traffic rising dramatically, much of it is also unpredictable in nature, and this can impact user experience,‚ said Keith Sutton, head of the WCDMA business line for Nokia Siemens Networks. ‚This is where HSPA+ Multiflow helps operators ‚ it reduces imbalances that typically occur in network resource usage, and increases HSPA+ speed and capacity.‚

HSPA+ Multiflow enables simultaneous transmission of two data streams from base stations in two adjacent cells to a single user device instead of one data stream from one base station as is the case with HSPA+ today. Overall, this can double throughput (data speeds) for users at cell edge. Due to Nokia Siemens Networks’ highly scalable Single RAN equipment, operators can protect their earlier network investments, by evolving their existing HSPA networks to the new technology with a simple software upgrade.

‚We are working with Nokia Siemens Networks to drive the evolution and deployment of technologies like HSPA+,‚ said SergevWillenegger, vice president of product management at Qualcomm. ‚This demonstration confirms that HSPA+ Multiflow will enable us to further enhance the HSPA+ mobile broadband user experience, and is thus a valuable contribution toward enhancing the HSPA+ value proposition and further expanding global mobile broadband coverage.”

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