Picocell Applications

Providing mobile service on planes, boats and in remote locations

Many mobile applications are required in areas where there is no broadband connectivity available for backhaul. In these circumstances, operators are exploring the viability of satellite communications.

The key application areas are:

Aircraft– where the commercial aviation sector want to provide phones for passengers. This service is currently provided by two companies AeroMobile and OnAir. There is also a requirement for connectivity on executive jets to allow VIPs to keep in touch, invariably using normal mobile devices.

Marine – where cruise ships, ferries, private yachts and commercial shipping requires connectivity, such as those offered by Blue Ocean Wireless

Rural areas– where the aim is to provide coverage to remote locations like villages, rural commercial settlements (such as rubber plantations, mining camps, refugee camps and the like). While an in-building picocell ma be useful for some locations, the requirement here is often for an outdoor picocell with large coverage area such as those offered by Altobridge and TriaGnoSys.

Oil and gas– where onshore and offshore exploration and production rigs (the former are mobile) require connectivity to support the private communications needs of workers as well as for safety reasons.

Connecting a picocell BTS into an existing remote hub and then routing signals over a satellite connection into a ground station provides a very flexible solution to connectivity challenges in these areas. From there the traffic is moved into the core of a mobile operator’s network. The architecture uses the IP link on the satellite which is cheaper than a circuit switched connection.

The consumer benefits because invariably all calls are made and received on their personal cell phone number and call charges appear on their monthly bill. Whether on sea or in the air, business people can continue to use premium services, like BlackBerry or other PDA services with the full range of features they use normally in their offices.

There is an interesting overview of some of the issues on this blog