Category: Press Release

FREMONT, CA – April 19, 2016 – The MulteFire Alliance, an independent, diverse and international member-driven consortium, today announced that SoftBank Corp. (“SoftBank”), Sercomm and Rohde & Schwarz have joined the Alliance to advance MulteFire – an LTE-based technology for small cells operating solely in unlicensed spectrum.

“The addition of tier-one mobile operator SoftBank, leading telecom broadband solution provider Sercomm, and test and measurement solution provider Rohde & Schwarz underscores the value that MulteFire technology delivers across the ecosystem,” said Stephan Litjens, MulteFire Alliance Board Chair and Head Innovation Steering, Nokia . “The combined experience, dedication to seamless connectivity, and international reach of the new and existing members allows the Alliance to ensure MulteFire technology will not only coexist with other technologies in the global communications market, but also provide a quality and reliable service in all applications. We invite all companies with a stake in wireless connectivity to join the Alliance.”

MulteFire technology expands the LTE ecosystem to new and established service providers due to its ability to operate solely in unlicensed spectrum. ISPs, cable operators, small, medium and large enterprises from all verticals, building owners and venue owners can deploy a secure LTE network to deliver capacity and coverage where needed. For mobile operators, MulteFire opens new opportunities where licensed spectrum is scarce or unavailable and enables neutral host solutions when a multi-operator system is required.

New Members Join to Advance MulteFire Technology

A subsidiary of global technology player SoftBank Group Corp., SoftBank is a leading mobile communications provider in Japan. Its 4G networks utilize TD-LTE/LTE at speeds of more than 110Mbt/s. SoftBank also deploys Wi-Fi hotspots available to subscribers throughout the nation.

Sercomm is a worldwide leading manufacturer of broadband and wireless networking equipment. The company is committed to the development of telecommunication broadband related core technology. Coupled with a fully integrated engineering capability, Sercomm has successfully mastered the key technologies and market trends of the telecom broadband industry. Sercomm is a leader in Small Cells, Wi-Fi IAD, FTTx Products, Cable DOCSIS 3.0 Equipment, and Smart Home Solutions.

Rohde & Schwarz test and measurement solutions make it possible to master the complexity of wireless communications, assisting in smooth operation for providers and manufacturers. As the global leader in wireless test equipment, Rohde & Schwarz provide reliable and accurate test tools incorporating the latest standards for product design, certification, production and network optimization.

To join the MulteFire Alliance or for more information, visit www.MulteFire.org.

About MulteFire Alliance MulteFire Alliance is an international association dedicated to building a global ecosystem in support of the common interests of members, developers and users in the application of Long Term Evolution (LTE) and next generation mobile cellular technology in configurations that use only unlicensed radio spectrum. For more information about MulteFire technology, its benefits how to become a member of the MulteFire Alliance, please visit www.MulteFire.org.

News Highlights:

• MulteFire Alliance to host launch event on Tuesday, February 23 at Mobile World Congress; Member companies Ericsson, Nokia and Qualcomm will feature MulteFire technology demonstrations in their booths throughout the show
• Athonet, Baicells, Boingo Wireless, Casa Systems, Ruckus Wireless and SpiderCloud Wireless join the Alliance
• Diverse group of Alliance members collaborate on development of the MulteFire specification based on 3GPP Release 13 and Release 14 to deliver an interoperable LTE-based technology operating solely in unlicensed spectrum

FREMONT, CA – February 11, 2016 – The MulteFire Alliance, an independent, international member-driven consortium, will host a launch event open to all Mobile World Congress attendees on February 23 from 2:00-4:30pm in Press Conference Room 1 to share details of its growing industry momentum and specification development. The MulteFire Alliance promotes and delivers MulteFire™ – an LTE-based technology for small cells operating solely in unlicensed spectrum for enhanced performance in local area network deployments. Alliance members will demonstrate MulteFire technology on the show floor. In addition, Athonet, Baicells, Boingo Wireless, Casa Systems, Ruckus Wireless and SpiderCloud Wireless have joined board-level members Ericsson, Intel, Nokia and Qualcomm Incorporated in the Alliance.

“Innovation around LTE operating in unlicensed spectrum has reached a fever-pitch, driven by demand for additional capacity, coverage and performance, especially in dense environments such as large enterprises or packed stadiums,” said Peter Jarich, vice president, Consumer and Infrastructure Services, Current Analysis. “Introduced less than a year ago, the progress that MulteFire has made is truly impressive. It’s also a testament to the promise of LTE operating solely in unlicensed spectrum – the expansion of LTE’s performance benefits to new and established wireless providers, as well as companies and organizations delivering wireless access to large numbers of employees or customers. MulteFire, with the backing of diverse industry leaders, stands to deliver on this promise.”

The MulteFire Alliance technical specification group is developing the MulteFire specification based on 3GPP Release 13 and Release 14 advancements, including downlink and uplink in unlicensed spectrum. MulteFire is designed to initially operate in 5 GHz unlicensed bands and coexist with other technologies using the same spectrum. MulteFire can also act as a neutral host to serve multiple entities or deliver provider-specific services at enterprises, venues and small businesses. The Alliance plans to provide interoperability, conformance and coexistence specifications and to enable conformance testing to ensure a robust and interoperable ecosystem.

“The MulteFire Alliance is committed to developing a technology designed to meet global unlicensed band regulations, including Listen-Before-Talk features required in regions such as Europe and Japan, for a truly global reach,” said Stephan Litjens, MulteFire Alliance Board Chair and head of Innovation Steering at Nokia. “Our members are taking great care to ensure that MulteFire technology will harmoniously coexist with other technologies in unlicensed spectrum bands.”

Invite to MulteFire Alliance Launch Event at Mobile World Congress

The Alliance welcomes Mobile World Congress attendees to its launch event Tuesday, February 23 from 2:00-4:30pm in Press Conference Room 1 in the Fira Gran Via. The event will focus on the business case for MulteFire technology along with a deep dive into the technology, including standardization and interoperability.

To RSVP for the launch event, visit www.MulteFire.org/events.

New Members Join the MulteFire Alliance

Athonet, Baicells, Boingo Wireless, Casa Systems, Ruckus Wireless and SpiderCloud Wireless have joined the MulteFire Alliance to collaborate on the development and promotion of MulteFire.

“We’re pleased to welcome a diverse set of new members to the MulteFire Alliance that reflects how MulteFire expands the LTE ecosystem and will bring new wireless connectivity options for coverage and performance to end users,” said Litjens.

To join the MulteFire Alliance or for more information, visit www.MulteFire.org.

About MulteFire Alliance
MulteFire Alliance is an international association dedicated to building a global ecosystem in support of the common interests of members, developers and users in the application of Long Term Evolution (LTE) and next generation mobile cellular technology in configurations that use only unlicensed radio spectrum. For more information about MulteFire technology, its benefits or how to become a member of the MulteFire Alliance, please visit www.MulteFire.org.

FREMONT, CA, December 16, 2015-– The MulteFire Alliance today announced its formation, with founding members Nokia and Qualcomm Incorporated and members Ericsson and Intel, and issued a call for global industry participation through voluntary membership. The Alliance is an independent organization dedicated to developing and promoting MulteFire™ – an LTE-based technology for small cells operating solely in unlicensed spectrum, such as the global 5 GHz unlicensed band. Utilizing the robust radio link, ease of management and self-organizing characteristics of LTE and its 3GPP standard evolution, MulteFire is envisioned to deliver enhanced performance in local area network deployments.

Because it relies solely upon unlicensed spectrum, MulteFire expands the ecosystem of LTE-based technologies to new and established service providers, including internet service providers, cable companies, mobile operators, small medium and large enterprises, and venue owners. For mobile operators, MulteFire is an attractive solution in cases when licensed spectrum is unavailable or when a multi-operator system is required.

“By bringing the benefits of LTE technologies to unlicensed spectrum, MulteFire helps provide enhanced coverage, capacity and mobility. It can also improve the Quality of Experience and security in private network deployments” said Stephan Litjens, Vice President, Portfolio Strategy & Analytics, Mobile  Broadband, Nokia, and MulteFire Alliance board chair.  “This technology is also aimed to deliver value to existing mobile networks and private customers such as building owners. MulteFire can act as a “neutral host” with the ability to serve users from multiple operators, especially in hard to reach places such as indoor locations, venues and enterprises.”

The MulteFire Alliance confirmed it has commenced operations with an open call for participation, with the objective to promote MulteFire technology, use cases, and business opportunities; to drive MulteFire global technical specification development; to establish a world class MulteFire product certification program; and to drive future evolution of MulteFire technology, while ensuring fair coexistence with Wi-Fi and other technologies in unlicensed spectrum. MulteFire is designed to meet global unlicensed band regulations, including “Listen-Before-Talk” features required in regions such as Europe and Japan.

“With MulteFire, consumers and network providers will enjoy the combination of 4G-LTE like performance with Wi-Fi-like deployment simplicity in local-area deployments,” said Ed Tiedemann, Senior Vice President, Engineering, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., and MulteFire Alliance board member.  “Users will benefit from an enhanced connectivity experience when moving across spaces such as shopping malls and corporate offices thanks to MulteFire’s mobility features and optional integration with wide-area networks.”

About MulteFire Alliance
MulteFire Alliance is an international association dedicated to building a global ecosystem in support of the common interests of members, developers and users in the application of Long Term Evolution (LTE) and next generation mobile cellular technology in configurations that use only unlicensed radio spectrum. For more information about MulteFire technology, its benefits how to become a member of the MulteFire Alliance, please visit www.MulteFire.org.