Fiber optic broadband provider Fibertech Networks said that it has activated what it believes is the first outdoor metro small cell site in the country.
Fibertech did not name the “wireless carrier carrying commercial traffic” who is using the site, but noted that it holds contracts with all of the major cellular carriers. The company has an 11-state footprint that includes parts of the East Coast and Midwest.
“There has been a tremendous amount of press and speculation in the wireless segment about small cell, and the potential explosion of wireless carrier’s deployment of this technology, but until now it has been limited to planning discussions and internal testing,” said Michael Hurley, VP of sales and marketing for Fibertech, in a statement. “This recently completed installation is our customer’s first small cell to carry live commercial traffic and demonstrates our ability to provide a complete end-to-end solution for this growing technology.”
–Site solutions company Westell Technologies Inc. (WSTL) said that strong demand for its wireless products, including tower-mounted amplifiers and distributed antenna systems, fueled strong performance in its most recent quarter. Westell reported profits of $4.2 million, compared to a net loss of $2 million in the same period last year. The company’s consolidated revenues were $25.2 million, with $14.7 million in sales of its intelligent site management solutions.
—Aruba Networks said it is seeing increasing uptake of its 802.11ac Wi-Fi products in Australia among both new and existing customers, driven by the need for more bandwidth fueled by proliferation of mobile devices and corporate applications.
Aruba introduced 802.11ac products in May of last year and said it is “seeing rapid adoption across numerous industries including education, healthcare and professional services.”
–In case you missed it last week, the HetNet Forum and PCIA have asked the Federal Communications Commission to “categorically exclude” small cells and DAS from environmental and historic review, and to make other changes streamlining the process for deploying those technologies.
