First Commercially Available VBTS for Use in Shared Active Infrastructure RAN Solutions

Vanu has announced the commercial launch of MultiRAN - which the firm says is the first commercially available RAN solution that enables active infrastructure sharing through the utilization of virtual BTS platforms.

Taking advantage of Vanu's software RAN technology, MultiRAN was developed to support multiple virtual base stations (vBTS) running on a single BTS hardware platform. The expense of antennas, BTS electronics, and backhaul can all be shared.

Just as enterprise virtualization has made it easier to manage datacenter assets, reduce the consumption of datacenter resources (floor space, power, etc.), and simplify software releases through standardization, a vBTS enables operators to share network infrastructure. Virtual base stations allow operators to run separate networks and upgrade their offerings or increase capacity on an independent basis. Each operatorÃ's vBTS is isolated from the othersÃ' providing security and independence for each virtualized RAN.

With MultiRAN, operators can minimize their expenses by sharing the costs of cellular sites and equipment, while continuing to offer differentiated competitive services. Additionally, infrastructure providers can model new businesses around hosting mobile operators who choose not to build out their own RAN infrastructure. Unlike traditional sharing solutions, MultiRAN also provides a separate management interface for each operator, allowing for independent operator control, performance monitoring and competitive differentiation. MultiRAN provides all of the standard interfaces, allowing connections to existing switch interfaces and core network components, so operators can start taking advantage of active BTS sharing with their GSM networks today.

"We developed MultiRAN Virtual Base Stations specifically to address the uniquely Indian challenge of extremely low ARPU coupled with explosive growth," said Vanu Bose, President and CEO of Vanu, Inc. "Infrastructure sharing makes rural expansion economically feasible, and virtualization facilitates competitive differentiation at a level existing sharing solutions cannot support."

Posted to the site on 14th December 2008