Back in January, market research firm Mobile Experts predicted that this year carrier-grade small cell deployments will overtake other types of small cell deployments. For the period from 2014 to 2017, the firm is also forecasting that small cell shipments will grow astronomically.  

Why the increasing utilization of small cells, you ask? Well for one, the leveraging of this next-generation platform can cut expenses related to operational costs more than 50 percent when compared to traditional 3G/4G wireless macro deployment options. In addition, the offering enables service providers to deliver a seamless network, while simultaneously powering load balancing and 3G /4G coverage and capacity to end-users throughout the world.

In a recent video that can be seen below, taken during the 2013 CCA Global Expo, Payam Maveddat (News - Alert), Taqua’s EVP of Product Management commented, “What Taqua has done is developed a platform that provides convergence and interworking functions between a 3G network and an IP/IMS network. One of the first applications that we have rolled out and deployed with Sprint (News - Alert) and another carrier has given us the ability to go ahead and implement small cells very cost-effectively for the carrier. From there, we can start developing applications that are all IP and IMS-based.”

In essence, this robust solution will help to enhance mobile service within both the home and enterprise environment via broadband connectivity. This in turn will drive customer satisfaction, expand the range of coverage, reduce subscriber churn, and open up new opportunities that mobile operators can leverage to ramp up revenue streams. The same architecture that provides small cell connectivity is now enabling the carrier to offer voice over Wi-Fi in environments where they want to provide more coverage for a cheaper price or roaming applications that the user can leverage to go outside of the coverage area.

As carriers start to deploy 4G and LTE (News - Alert) networks, new challenges continue to arise, including how to handle a single radio handset that is always in LTE mode and now must receive a voice call. This does not only require expensive hardware upgrades but also most vendors can’t seamlessly integrate their offering with a circuit switched core. As a result, Taqua (News - Alert) has taken the steps needed to provide a vendor independent interworking function that sits between the 4G and 3G core, powering circuit switched fallback as an application. If a carrier then decides to step into the voice over LTE space, the single handset offers seamless continuity, helping them to evolve their network with ease.

The company’s website reveals: “At the heart of Taqua’s small cell core, the T6100 delivers macro network feature parity and the service-layer interworking essential for a seamless subscriber experience, while meeting the carrier’s strict reliability and quality standards. It leverages existing mobile core systems and practices so that operators can deploy new small cell offerings with minimal financial or operational impact.”

The ability to create, integrate, deploy and support best-in-class solutions is what helps to set Taqua apart from competitors. Its robust products and solutions that are way ahead of others in the industry in terms of capabilities probably don’t hinder its success either though.