Airvana Updates Its CDMA EV-DO Clustering Technology

Mobile phone service providers of CDMA 1xEV-DO mobile broadband infrastructure around the world are in the process of installing an important software upgrade from Airvana that enables the carriers to increase their network capacity and accelerate the deployment of next-generation multimedia services.

In an interview Tuesday, Airvana's director of product management for EV-DO Harjot Saluja said the upgrade to the firm's RNC (Radio Network Control) technology will "provide more horsepower" to carriers so they can provide "a consistent user experience" as more and more users sign onto networks and as the networks introduce enhanced high-speed mobile Internet, multimedia and entertainment applications.

Saluja said the RNC software upgrade, which improves the company's clustering technology, helps carriers compete with DSL broadband technology offered by competitors. Some 70 worldwide operators utilize Airvana's technology including Verizon Wireless and Sprint in the U.S. CDMA infrastructure, which was pioneered by Qualcomm, generally has been more robust and offers higher speeds than most competing wireless infrastructures.

The Airvana upgrade enables carriers to increase the number of sites than can fit in a cluster, enabling the management of subscriber sessions as subscribers move across different cell boundaries.

"With Airvana's RNC clustering, operators can deploy multiple RNCs without introducing any RNC borders that can cause service interruptions as subscribers cross them," the company said. "This benefit is especially important for delay-sensitive applications such as push-to-talk and push-to-video." Saluja noted that the upgrade can also help smooth VoIP calls.

Also included in the upgrade are enhancements that improve multi-carrier load balancing to enable operators to provide more consistent user experiences, particularly during peak hours. In addition, new tiered service levels pave the way for operators to differentiate data service levels.