AirWalk Communications Migrates to LTE Wireless Technology
Industry’s First 4G Picocell Base Station Developed in Collaboration with Mindspeed and Aricent
RICHARDSON, Texas, March 15, 2010 – AirWalk Communications, the innovator in IP-based CDMA cellular radio network equipment, has collaborated with Mindspeed Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ: MSPD) and Aricent® to develop an LTE picocell.
The three companies announced their collaboration today and said that a proof of concept will be on display at the March 23-25 CTIA Wireless 2010 conference and exhibition in Las Vegas in AirWalk’s Booth (Central Hall #2130).
AirWalk’s migration path to an LTE product line offers operators improved performance functionality through increased spectrum efficiency, increased capacity, peak data rates and very low latency. AirWalk will begin offering an LTE product line starting with picocells in 2011, followed by femtocells.
“As operators migrate their services to LTE and continue to expand network coverage, AirWalk is uniquely positioned to continue supplying the picocell and femtocell markets,” said Serge Pequeux, president and CEO of AirWalk Communications. “The architecture specified by LTE standards bodies is the same flat all-IP architecture found in AirWalk’s CDMA products today, which provides an advantage in our development efforts and time-to-market.”
The LTE picocell in development incorporates Mindspeed®’s TranscedeTM next-generation wireless baseband processor and associated components. It combines the latest RISC processor technology with a high-performance DSP processing array in a single chip, providing a complete low-cost/high-value processing capability.
“Mindspeed’s cost-effective industry-standard chipset has proven to help picocell manufacturers accelerate time-to-market for their LTE products,” said Raouf Halim, chief executive officer at Mindspeed. “Our Transcede family of processors is among those leading the migration to 4G technology, and we are pleased to collaborate with early adopter companies like AirWalk to bring the initial LTE products to market.”
The picocell relies on Aricent’s software solution to provide a robust platform. It incorporates selected elements from the Aricent LTE eNodeB stack portfolio and includes the industry’s first Layer 2 stack for multi-core implementations.
“Aricent is pleased to collaborate with innovative companies like AirWalk and Mindspeed to introduce an LTE solution based on all three companies’ depth of expertise,” said C.P. Murali, senior vice president, Communications Infrastructure Business Unit at Aricent. “Migrating toward LTE is a priority for the wireless industry, and Aricent is fully committed to offering exceptional solutions.”
AirWalk’s LTE picocell is an affordable access point which will complement macro networks by providing voice and high-speed data coverage and capacity to hot spots and in-building areas that are RF challenged.
About AirWalk Communications
AirWalk Communications, Inc. is a developer of IP CDMA Radio Access Network (IP-RAN) products that deliver 3G and 4G voice and data platforms with migration to LTE. AirWalk’s products are modular, stackable and increase coverage and capacity. AirWalk delivered the industry’s first base station and base station controller in a single, inexpensive, compact platform. The company’s radio products operate on the global CDMA licensed frequencies and offer operators new sources of revenue. For more information, visit www.airwalkcom.com.
About Mindspeed Technologies
Mindspeed Technologies, Inc. designs, develops and sells semiconductor solutions for communications applications in the wireline and wireless network infrastructure, which includes today’s separate but interrelated and converging enterprise, broadband access, metropolitan and wide area networks. Our products are classified into three focused product families: multiservice access, high-performance analog and wide area networking communications. Our products are sold to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for use in a variety of network infrastructure equipment, including voice and media gateways, high-speed routers, switches, access multiplexers, cross-connect systems, add-drop multiplexers, digital loop carrier equipment, IP private branch exchanges (PBXs), optical modules, broadcast video systems and wireless base station equipment. To learn more, visit www.mindspeed.com.
About Aricent
Aricent is a global innovation, technology and services company focused exclusively on communications. Aricent combines the leading innovation capabilities of frog design with unparalleled domain expertise in communications as a strategic supplier to the world’s foremost infrastructure, application and service providers. The company’s investors include Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co., Sequoia Capital, The Family Office and The Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board. For more information, visit www.aricent.com.
