Taqua Leverages WiFi, Introduces Backhaul Product at MWC 2012

At Mobile World Congress 2012 in Barcelona I had a chance to speak with Payam Maveddat the company’s EVP of Product Line Management about the fact that carriers have become very interested in WiFi solutions. A frequent discussion at the show to tell the truth was that carriers who wouldn’t even discuss WiFi with you a few years back are now actively asking for the innovation to help alleviate the spectrum crunch they are all facing.

Maveddat explained that his clients are happy that they can leverage VoLTE, VoWiFi and femtocells with the company’s solutions. To boot he highlighted the company’s Android VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) client that works with the company’s TCS6100. The app actively shuts down the wireless radio when it detects an active WiFi network and subsequently uses WiFi for not only the voice however for SMS communications. He says this solution works then for carriers who want to augment femtocells or even for carriers who can’t afford them.

I asked if he thought such a solution would ever be released by Apple – remember that Apple more tightly controls its device features and functions so a third-party couldn’t release such functionality with current levels of OS access. He thought over time that Apple would release such functionality and I tend to agree as carrier pressure to minimize spectrum usage will likely reach a fever pitch and if they don’t do anything, the impending spectrum crunch will affect all Apple users on 3G and 4G networks.

Side benefit

As a side benefit, WiFi is more efficient than 3G and 4G as it doesn’t need to transmit as far – so if Apple was to enable this sort of solution, many users – especially heavy talkers using its 3G and 4G iPhones would likely experience a bump in battery life.

This sort of product may be the ideal lamp post solution allowing carriers to rapidly and inexpensively provide access in areas where microwave or fiber backhaul solutions are impractical. The company explains that each small cell site is connected by Ethernet to a Taqua Remote Backhaul Module over licensed nevertheless underutilized and inexpensive spectrum to its Hub Backhaul Module. In addition, management of hundreds of clusters can be done over a single user interface.

The innovation powering the backhaul is OFDM

As you might have guessed the innovation powering the backhaul is OFDM and MIMO and can work in multiple bands from 2 to 4 GHz.

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