ZyXEL Communications will use software from Alcatel-Lucent to integrate mobile networking into its home networking equipment.
As part of Alcatel-Lucent's Software Licensing Program, ZyXEL will integrate residential small cell software with its own broadband and wireless products, Alcatel-Lucent said on Monday.
Small cells can improve voice quality and increase mobile broadband capacity, at home, in the office and in public areas. When a user is making calls and surfing the Web with a smartphone or a tablet equipped with wireless broadband, signals are sent via the small cell base station and a fixed broadband connection.
By integrating the small cell into a home router or a set-top box costs drop compared to using a separate product, according to Alcatel-Lucent. The two companies didn't provide any details on when the first products resulting from the deal will start shipping.
Alcatel-Lucent and ZyXEL will next week take part in Mobile World Congress, where small cells are expected to one of the big trends as more operators look to build so-called heterogeneous networks. They use a mixture of different sized base stations to better handle growing traffic volumes.
Along with vendors such as Cisco Systems and Nokia Siemens Networks, Alcatel-Lucent will show its products in the Small Cell Zone.
Other vendors also have new products in store for Mobile World Congress. Airspan and Radisys will be showing off the AirSynergy 4G, an outdoor small cell that integrates next-generation network technology LTE-Advanced. Ubiquisys and Quortus will demonstrate a small cell-based mobile PBX, which will be aimed small and medium sized businesses.
Mobile World Congress takes place from Feb. 25 to Feb. 28 in Barcelona.
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