Alcatel Working on Indoor 3G Coverage Solutions

Alcatel and DoCoMo Engineering, a 100% subsidiary of NTT DoCoMo have signed a Frame Agreement on consulting services and cooperation for network design, operations and enhancement of 3G/UMTS indoor coverage.

To provide this service, DoCoMo Engineering Inc., thanks to its IMCS* (In-building Mobile Communication System) service experience, will collaborate with Alcatel, supporting system development such as network design and planning, network enhancement including quality of service assessment, radio optimization, or new radio features introduction.

Masami Yamamoto, President of DoCoMo Engineering Inc., indicated that "In order to ensure the development of W-CDMA services worldwide, mobile operators have to optimize indoor coverage especially in closed areas such as underground shopping mall, as well as inside building. In this regard, we consider that thanks to the collaboration between Alcatel that have a capability for the development and the production of state-of-the-art 3G/UMTS network solutions and DoCoMo Engineering Inc., the world leading company for W-CDMA (FOMA) in-building communication technologies, 3G/UMTS will become much popular in the coming near future. The collaboration with Alcatel this time is a first step for our future business development."

*IMCS (In-building Mobile Communication system) is a name of the system which has been developed by NTT DoCoMo Inc. Japan for providing telecommunication services in the closed area. This service is provided for mobile phones and PHS in closed areas such as underground facilities, inside building etc.

The service is made available by connecting radio base station located in underground or inside building with NTT DoCoMo's mobile and PHS network through leased circuit. Then the radio base station is linked to antenna located in several locations in closed area via coaxial cable, optical fiber etc."

Posted to the site on 20th February 2003