Telefónica, Quortus demo ‘LTE Nano’ mobile network at MWC 17

Quortus has partnered with operator Telefónica España, to drive the rapidly emerging trend towards the use of private cellular networks in a broad range of applications.

The two companies will illustrate their private cellular capabilities via LTE Nano, a low-footprint, ultra-compact and highly scalable 4G network-in-a-box implementation built around Quortus’ award-winning EdgeCentrix (ECX) Enhanced Packet Core. LTE Nano will be on display at the Telefónica Booth (Hall 3, Booth 3-K21) at Mobile World Congress from February 27th to March 2nd 2017.

Private cellular – deployed on licensed, license-exempt or deregulated spectrum – enables a variety of innovative services, including DECT replacement and mixed voice/secure data services for enterprises and other organizations.

Quortus provides a complete 2G/3G/4G virtual core network solution for such applications that can run on any hardware platform, and is scalable from tens to tens of thousands of connected users. Telefónica, as a leading global operator, is pioneering the use of private cellular, particularly amongst its industrial and enterprise customer base.

LTE Nano delivers an all-IP mobile broadband mobility solution which can be used to provide a discrete voice, video and data network in a range of scenarios including emergency situations, remote industrial locations and temporary deployment at events.

Its small form factor and light weight allows it to be carried in a backpack, or elevated via a drone. The network can be deployed within minutes, providing an instant hotspot for users with specific coverage requirements beyond the capabilities of public LTE networks. In remote, underserved areas it can function as a standalone “hot-spot”, or utilize cable, satellite or microwave technologies for backhaul.

As well as full ‘network in a box’ applications, Quortus’ virtual mobile core solution is also being used for private cellular deployments where low cost, small footprint infrastructure is required for IoT connectivity over cellular, proving particularly effective in industrial environments.

The demonstration at MWC will show a battery-powered, backpack-based LTE Nano implementation, providing communications support to a rescue team, including streaming video coming from a drone viewable on a tablet. This demonstration illustrates how a portable, rapidly deployable LTE network can serve as basis for communications to tactical and rescue teams in locations with no coverage.

According to Javier Gutiérrez, director of Network Strategy and Development at Telefónica España: “This innovation’s initiative is in line with Telefónica’s efforts in bringing the features of latest-generation LTE networks to all our customers, enabling services that were not possible before, and helping them in developing new revenue streams for their business. In this scenario, the combination of the highly efficient virtualized solution from Quortus and the benefits of a licensed LTE spectrum, is helping us in pushing the limits of what we thought possible and bring the reliability, quality, and security of LTE communications to completely new markets. Quortus has proven to be an excellent innovation partner in pursuing these objectives.”

Andy Odgers, Quortus Founder and CEO, commented: “The emergence of initiatives such as Multefire and CBRS illustrate the rising interest in the use of cellular technology in a private context. The rising demand for reliable, secure connectivity exists across a range of enterprises, rural and remote settings and in the public safety arena. LTE Nano takes this to its logical conclusion, providing a completely discrete network which can be rapidly deployed anywhere. We are proud to have been selected by Telefónica as a key component of LTE Nano.”