小型基站的未来：成为主流还是非主流？

智能手机所带来的移动上网洪流，催生了小型基站(small cellular base station)的概念，就像小沙包一样堆置在电信业者的网络中；不过芯片供货商LSI Corp. 却仍对小型基站将成为主流趋势抱持怀疑态度。 “已经有许多针对小型基站利与弊的试验；”LSI首席技术官Greg Huff在最近接受 EETimes美国版访问时表示：“它们能填补网络覆盖范围的漏洞，但也会变成管理者的梦靥──这是非常棘手的问题，因此小型基站还在受评估阶段。” 过去一年多以来，电信业者等厂商在传统大型基站(macro base station)之下提出了四种等级的小型基站，包括metro cells、pico cells、micro cells与femtocell。而到目前为止，只有femtocell获得了某种程度的采用，主要是运用在蜂窝网络信号死角的住宅内。 “我们从客户听到的意见，是认为中、大型基站才是正确解答，小型基站的管理太困难，因此大多数设备业者还是只生产大型基站以及再低一个等级的方案。” Huff表示：“我们在这个领域一直是跟随客户的需要，他们说最大的芯片市场还是在大型基站以及低一个等级的方案；有些人押注在更小的基站，但投资报酬率不太好。” Huff补充指出：“在4~5年内，小型基站市场可能会更有趣，但目前该类产品因为出货量与产品平均销售价格(ASP)，无法跨越投资报酬率障碍。”他的意见并不是每个人都同意，例如通信设备业者爱立信(Ericsson)的高层就对小型基站前景看法乐观。 “我们的大客户都在寻求小型基站布建，因为可解决覆盖率的问题，并非网络流量的问题；”爱立信技术策略与研发副总裁Erik Ekudden表示：“大型电信业者正在朝向真正的异质网络(heterogeneous networks)发展，这在明年就会看到实际布署。”爱立信号称是最大的蜂窝式基站供货商，并越来越专注于产品阵容广泛的基站与有线/无线骨干网络解决方案。 晶片供货商高通(Qualcomm)最近则是收购以色列新创公司 DesignArt Networks，打算藉此提供能与无线骨干网络整合的小型基站芯片；DesignArt Networks拥有pico基站应用的LTE芯片产品线，已经获得无线骨干网络调制解调器的采用，未来高通将开发结合DesignArt Networks的IP与自家技术的后续系列芯片产品。 “我们将开发怎样的芯片还未可知，也不确定将会支持mero、mico或是pico基站；”Qualcomm Atheros业务开发副总裁Nick Karter表示：“这个领域的产品命名等一切都还在不断变动。” 本文授权编译自EE Times，版权所有，谢绝转载 编译：Judith Cheng 参考英文原文： LSI takes skeptic's view on small cells，by Rick Merritt

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{pagination} LSI takes skeptic's view on small cells Rick Merritt LSI chief technologist Greg Huff (shown) is skeptical carriers will deploy a new generation of small cell base stations to handle the flood of mobile data. SAN JOSE, Calif.--The flood of mobile data traffic from smartphones has spawned the concept of a new tier of small cellular base stations, piled on carrier networks like sandbags. LSI Corp. is among the companies still skeptical the trend will take hold. "There have been several small scale trials [of small cells] with pluses and minuses," said Greg Huff, chief technologist at LSI, in a recent interview with EE Times. "They filled holes in coverage, but they turned out to be a management nightmare--it was very cumbersome, so they are still in evaluation," Huff said. For more than a year, carriers and others have described as many as four tiers of small cells below traditional macro base stations—metro cells, pico cells, micro cells and femto cells. So far, only femto cells have gained some adoption, generally for use in residences located in cellular dead zones. "What we hear from customers is big and medium cells are the right answer, and small cells are too difficult to manage, so most equipment providers are making macro cells and one step below it," said Huff. "We’re following our customers' bets here, and they say the biggest market for semis is in macro cells and one step below them," Huff said. "Some people are placing bets below that, but the ROI there is not great," he said. "In four to five years [small cells] could be more interesting, but today they don’t meet ROI hurdles" in terms of units and ASPs, he added. Not everyone agrees. In a wide ranging interview, an Ericsson executive was more bullish on small cells. "Our biggest customers are looking for small cell deployments [because] they solve a coverage problem, but not a capacity issue," said Erik Ekudden, vice president of technology strategies and development at Ericsson. "Big operators are moving into truly heterogeneous networks--that will happen in the next year with deployments." Ericsson claims it is the largest supplier of cellular base stations. It increasingly aims to sell a broad package of the base stations and wireless and wired backhaul networks. Qualcomm's recent purchase of Israeli startup DesignArt Networks aimed at a similar play, selling chips for small cell base stations that integrate wireless backhaul links. DesignArt has a line of LTE chips for pico base stations now being qualified that build in wireless backhaul modems. Qualcomm will design a follow-on family combining its in-house technology with the startup’s IP. "The chips we are designing are agnostic, and will handle metro, micro or pico cells," said Nick Karter, vice president of business development at Qualcomm Atheros. "The whole nomenclature in this space is in flux."