ip.access revs up coverage for Monaco Telecom

CAMBRIDGE, UK: ip.access, the multi-award winning developer of picocell and femtocell solutions, announced that Monaco Telecom will deploy its nanoBTS picocell system, to boost the operator’s mobile network capacity during the F1 Monaco Grand Prix.

The deal comes on the back of Monaco Telecom’s successful deployment of nanoBTS systems to service VIP’s, Enterprises and hotels in the principality.

ip.access will install a number of nanoBTS picocells on-site in the Monaco F1 Grand Prix press office, providing additional GSM coverage and network capacity to deal with the expected surge in mobile phone usage throughout the Grand Prix weekend. The extra capacity will result in fewer dropped calls, less network interruptions and a vastly improved quality of service for customers using Monaco Telecom’s network.

"The Grand Prix weekend will see more than 100,000 people from around the world descend on Monaco, each demanding a reliable and high quality mobile network when using their phone," said Jean-Philippe Alfonsi, Marketing Director at Monaco Telecom.

"ip.access’ picocell solution is quick and easy to install, making use of our existing on-site broadband connection to provide the most cost-effective way of temporarily boosting coverage, which will be vital as the crowds begin to arrive. We look forward to working with ip.access again to deliver excellent mobile services throughout the highlight of the 2009 F1 season," he added.

Traditionally, Monaco Telecom has deployed expensive on-site trucks at the event, which are equipped with a large base transceiver station (BTS) and take up a significant amount of the limited space at the event. The ip.access nanoBTS picocells will be installed on the office walls within the newsroom and VIP areas to free-up additional room for people to move around the site easily.

"Events like the Monaco Grand Prix result in thousands of people attempting to use their mobile phones from the same location, at a single point in time," said Dr Andy Tiller, VP marketing at ip.access.

"This stretches network capacity to the limit and often results in people suffering a poor user experience when attempting to make a call. Our nanoBTS picocells provide a simple way of dealing with this problem, providing the temporary boost in coverage required to cope with the surge in network activity," he said.

The nanoBTS picocells are a complete GSM “basestation” solution, using the standard Um interface to the handset and an Abis interface carried over IP for the backhaul. ip.access is working with Grand Prix organisers, Automobile Club de Monaco, to ensure the solution is fully installed in the press centre for the start of the event, which will run from 21–24 May, 2009.