Issue link: http://osercommunicationsgroup.uberflip.com/i/722832
Wireless World Friday, September 9, 2016 3 4 global connectivity. Just how exactly are NATE member companies helping provide this wireless future? Consider the following areas of critical importance to the future of mobil- ity: FCC 600 MHZ Incentive Auction As everyone in the wireless industry is acutely aware, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is conducting a 600 MHZ Incentive Auction in order to free up valuable low band radio waves spectrum currently held by broadcasters. Upon the conclusion of this innova- tive auction, NATE's wireless contractors and equipment supplier members will be called on to "repurpose" the spectrum by deploying the new antennas and wireless equipment on communications structures located across the United States. This important infrastructure work will help pave the way to enable emerging tech- nologies and networks that are capable of meeting the country's connectivity and data needs moving forward. FirstNet Public Safety Broadband Network NATE members will also be playing a critical role in the build-out of FirstNet, the country's first nationwide broad- band network devoted exclusively to public safety. When the FirstNet build- out is ready to begin, NATE member companies will be helping provide the wireless infrastructure services and equipment necessary to make this net- work a reality. NATE (Cont'd. from p. 1) Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) Technology NATE is also playing a proactive role in monitoring the trends and regulatory environment associated with rapidly evolving Unmanned Aerial Systems (drone) technologies and making recom- mendations to the wireless infrastructure community on best practices when it comes to UAS integration. UAS tech- nologies, if integrated appropriately, can play a supplemental role in enhancing safety and quality in the industry as well as contribute to the vital economic, pub- lic safety and national security benefits associated with broadband network deployments in the United States. The Future: 5G Networks According to the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), it is widely anticipated that 5G (5th Generation) commercial networks will be in the marketplace by 2020. The ITU states that 5G networks will have a peak speed of 20 Gbps (billions of bits per sec- ond), or 20 times the peak speed specifi- cation of today's 4G LTE networks, which stands at 1 Gps. NATE member companies have developed and maintained every genera- tion of communications networks and will help make 5G networks a reality in the future. The next time you utilize your smartphone to watch a YouTube video or stream a movie on Netflix, remember that NATE is on the forefront of making these next generation technologies and modern day conveniences possible. For more information, stop by booth #4056 or visit www.natehome.com. Systems (DAS) and WiFi deployments. So until these venues need to be upgrad- ed to support 5G, the natural question is where the focus (and spending) moves next? Typically decided by number of customers and volume of data usage, it would appear that the next types of ven- ues to be targeted for improved coverage and capacity would be those such as hotels and conference centers, high rise offices and hospitals. However, the efforts to cover this next group of venues are complicated by the fact that the effort and capital invest- ment to cover these venues needs to be spread far, far thinner than it was among the comparable handful of stadiums and other high profile venues. The number of venues to be covered quickly grows into the millions even when prioritized by number of customers and data usage. Unfortunately, at the same time, the cap- ital available to make these improve- ments has been scaled back as wireless operators look for other funding models. This leaves more of the cost burden on the enterprise venue owners themselves. At the same time on the public safety communications side of the fence, in recent years national building codes such as NFPA and IFC have added radio cov- erage requirements for emergency responders in all new buildings. In some cases the codes are even adopted retroac- Bird Technologies (Cont'd. from p. 1) tively to apply to existing buildings in addition to new construction. As these codes are adopted by municipalities across the U.S., an unfunded mandate is created for the enterprise building owners who must find a way to provide this cov- erage without becoming unprofitable or passing too much cost onto their tenants. The best chance of facing these chal- lenges (both commercial wireless and public safety communications) comes in viewing them together. While commer- cial wireless and public safety communi- cations have many different require- ments, from coverage areas to required signal levels and battery backup require- ments, there are many benefits to looking at solving both needs at the same time. Not the least of these benefits is avoiding interference, as well as saving on dupli- cated engineering and installation costs, even in cases where largely parallel sys- tems may be needed. With careful thought and RF expertise, a solution can be engineered to minimize the cost com- pared to two completely separate deploy- ments, while ensuring that there will be minimal interference between the two different types of systems. Bird's end to end complete DAS product portfolio and professional RF services provide the ideal solution. For more information, visit Bird Technologies at booth #4352 or visit www.birdrf.com. NEW 'U' THERMOSTAT FROM ICM CONTROLS MAKES WI-FI AFFORDABLE Starting at just $65, the new "U" thermo- stat from Syracuse, New York manufactur- er ICM Controls is set to make a big splash in the Wi-Fi marketplace. Leveraging an innovative use of capacitive sensing tech- nology, the "U" paves the way for every- one to be able enjoy the convenience of controlling their heating and cooling sys- tems remotely from their smartphone. Designed with the typical end-user in mind, the "U" is sleek and stylish, with a footprint that is no bigger than today's smartphones. Scheduled to launch this spring (pre-orders are being accepted at www.uthermostat.com), the "U" features a dynamic, cap-touch user interface and even allows end-users the ability to custom configure one or more of the buttons to match their personal preferences or needs. The "U" connects quickly and easily to an existing Wi-Fi network, with typi- cal installation and set up times taking only a few minutes. Multiple users can also control the same thermostat with the smartphone app (available for both iOS and Android platforms), allowing every- one in the household to be able to adjust set points remotely. Additionally, multiple thermo- stats can be controlled remotely from one smartphone. "We designed the 'U' thermostat with the average homeowner and family in mind," said Kevin Jobsky, Director of Sales and Marketing for ICM Controls. "We stripped out many of the advanced features that most peo- ple really don't need or care about, but otherwise drive the cost up. Instead, we went for simplicity and affordability." "With that said, the 'U' is still a full- featured programmable Wi-Fi thermostat that offers homeowners reliable conven- ience of remote access with a personal touch – all for a price point that is below the cost of many standard digital models on the market today," added Jobsky. Consumers wishing to learn more about the "U" or to pre- order can do so by visiting the "U" Series website at www.uthermostat.com. Based in North Syracuse, New York, ICM Controls has been man- ufacturing thermostats for more than 15 years. Last year, the company launched its higher end i3™ Series of affordable touch thermostats based on the same innovative platform, and including a more robust feature set and a patent- pending, dynamic and intuitive interface. For more information, visit www .uthermostat.com. "Three C's" – collaboration, communi- cation and caring. WW: How did GetWireless get started? BT: GetWireless is a bootstrap company that was started in 2001 in a townhome basement with a $5,100 investment. We started the company to design and deliv- er a wireless drive-thru solution for quick service restaurants. As the demand for cellular grew, we identified a handful of industry-leading manufacturers to part- ner with, and found a dynamically grow- ing marketplace to service. We have now grown to be one of the largest value- added distributors of IoT/M2M connec- tivity solutions. WW: How is your strategy for distribu- tion unique in the IoT marketspace? BT: We provide a comprehensive inven- tory, rapid shipping and flexible payment terms, but our true value is the expertise we have on every product we distribute, and the services and technical support we can provide around those products. WW: What are the key product lines you distribute and why are they strategic to your view of the space? BT: We like to say that GetWireless is "Connecting the Internet of Things," as we offer cellular connectivity solu- GetWireless (Cont'd. from p. 1) tions from embedded modules to ultra- rugged gateways. Our portfolio includes many of the leading manufac- turers (i.e. Sierra Wireless) and prod- ucts in the IoT marketplace, along with best-in-class signal boosters and anten- na solutions. WW: What kind of customers do you sell to? How do clients engage with GetWireless? BT: We bring innovative wireless solu- tions to market through value-added resellers, system integrators, OEMs and cellular providers. We offer a variety of partner programs to fit businesses of any size, and we bring training/education, product expertise, technical support and cooperative marketing to each relation- ship. WW: What should attendees expect to see from GetWireless here at CTIA – Super Mobility 2016? BT: The messaging at the GetWireless booth at CTIA this year is around collab- oration with our partners, and highlight- ing our solutions from fully-embedded designs, all the way to finished multi-car- rier gateway solutions. Our broad portfo- lio of connectivity solutions empowers our resale partners to scale as their proj- ects evolve and grow. For more information, visit GetWireless in the M2M Zone at booth #4855.