"¢ Macro Cell Base Stations (BS): typically aimed at tower installations;
"¢ Mini Cell BS: typically aimed at rooftop & similar deployments;
"¢ PicoCell BS: typically for indoor and shadow area network enhancements;
"¢ Femtocell: typically aimed at local area access networks.
SDWN will enable localized storage and servers, mobile and temporary networks.
SDWN methods can deliver a significant reduction in network deployment and operating costs. SDWN displaces the need to do much of the configuration and allows various types of deployments that better fit the environment.
Key companies and market dynamic
Key stake holders in SDWN development include most major companies involved in Wimax and 3G-LTE including:
"¢ Alcatel-Lucent: A leading developer of co-MIMO, MU-MIMO technologies
"¢ Alvarion: An early implementer of distributed network capabilities
"¢ Cisco: We think that Cisco intends to become the leader in SDWN for both Wimax and LTE. Products may not appear for up to two years.
"¢ Intel: Offers distributed processor architectures and enabling IP.
"¢ Nortel: An early leader in MIMO-OFDM and is continuing development toward SDWN
"¢ Motorola: The company is not as visible but has developed corresponding IP
"¢ Ericsson: Has recently entered submittals to 802.16 that correspond to work in LTE.
"¢ Huawei: A rising developer in SDWN technologies.
"¢ Numerous efforts are underway among Wimax, LTE and multi-mode chip and smaller equipment suppliers. picoChip and DesignArt are noticeable examples.
Markets
SDWN is highly motivated by the need to deliver cost effective networks able to respond to high bandwidth demands from both enterprise and consumer markets. The need to be integrated as part of enterprise level networks compels development of self-configuring, self-organizing wireless broadband networks. The growing demand for personal broadband, including social networking and video media, will propel the pace of SDWN developments.
We believe that SDWN will develop over the next 10 years to become two to four times larger than the conventional centralized wireless broadband network market.
Robert Syputa is Partner & Senior Analyst at Maravedis