Nokia on May 6 announced the launch of the Nokia Smart Node platform, an indoor mobile module solution delivering high-quality 4G and 5G indoor mobile coverage for residential and small-medium enterprise use.
The company says the platform's compact, plug-and-play modular design can be deployed readily in any environment to support evolving consumer applications. The system is future-proofed to support 4G now and 5G networks when required, and both non-stand-alone and stand-alone 5G applications through a software upgrade. Nokia Smart Node will be available from Q4 2021.
Nokia Smart Node is billed as a dedicated indoor mobile solution with superior coverage and capacity and can be easily scaled from single to multiple units to meet total indoor coverage requirements. The system's high-quality coverage, latency and reliability delivers ubiquitous 5G connectivity for specific use cases such as immersive entertainment.
The platform's ‘plug and play’ capabilities also make it easy to set up, which keeps installation costs to a minimum. Billed as "stylish, durable and smart," the units can be wall, ceiling or desktop mounted.
According to the company, Nokia Smart Node supports traffic management by reducing core network load and optimizing macro resource allocation. The system delivers uncongested high throughput network performance with existing secure authentication and provides a secure connection and SIM-based authentication to assure the quality required in mobile networks.
Kyung Mun, Principal Analyst at Mobile Experts, asserted: “Nokia’s SmartNode femtocells are a great addition to an operators’ 'toolbox' as they extend 5G services indoors for residential/SOHO settings. [The platform's] modular design allows an operator to add 4G/5G coverage and capacity where needed. Consumers expect ubiquitous coverage and the SmartNode femtocells are a highly effective solution for completing 5G coverage in homes and small offices.”
Giuseppe Targia, VP Mobile Networks Transport Business Unit at Nokia, concluded: “These new additions to our femtocell range enhance our award-winning and industry-leading small cells portfolio which covers all use cases for both indoor and outdoor use. These compact and stylish units make it easy to benefit from superior indoor coverage and capacity particularly for home or small business use.”