BelAir Bows Combo 3G/Wi-Fi Product Aimed at Cable, Telcos

New base station designed for metropolitan broadband networks

By Glen Dickson -- Broadcasting & Cable, 8/16/2010 9:00:00 AM

The Ottawa, Can.-based firm's new BelAir100SP Strand "Picocell" device is designed to connect to hybrid fiber-coax networks through a DOCSIS 3.0 Modem and includes both 3G and dual 802.11n (Wi-Fi) radios, allowing a cable operator or telco to provide wireless broadband service using either technology in congested, data-hungry urban markets. BelAir Networks is demonstrating the modular device this week at the CableLabs Summer Conference Innovation Showcase in Keystone, Colo.

While a "femtocell" is a wireless base station designed to improve wireless coverage in inside a home, a picocell is aimed at busy urban environments where heavy use is straining the capacity of existing networks, explains BelAir VP of product marketing Dave Park. Picocells have an effective range of 300-500 meters but are designed to be placed in closed proximity, either mounted on utility poles, on the sides of buildings or underground, to boost broadband connectivity. An urban train station might be equipped for wireless access by installing two or three picocells.


The Wi-Fi networks that Cablevision, Comcast and Time Warner Cable have set up in the greater New York City market, which allow broadband subscribers of all three operators to pass between their networks and enjoy Internet access on the go, are a good example of how picocell technology can be effectively by cable operators. AT&T has also deployed the technology in Chicago to improve the user experience for 3G wireless customers. BelAir plans to also support the LTE wireless standard in the future.

"A cable operator can function as a managed wireless service provider with a hosted base station model," says Park. "It allows them to sweat their existing assets for additional revenue or to improve subscriber retention."

The BelAir100SP measures 10x10x16" and weighs 35 pounds, gets its power from the HFC network and can be installed in about 10 minutes, says Park. It will be priced competitively with other picocells on the market, which generally fall in the $2,000-$5,000 range.

Given the steady growth in demand for broadband access, particularly in large cities, research firm In-Stat predicts the worldwide metropolitan picocell equipment market will be worth more than $5 billion by 2014.