For this latest instalment in our series of previews of the upcoming Broadband InfoVision Awards, to be held in Paris next month, we examine the nominees in Category 3 – Broadband Access Network Technologies and Services (Wireless).

Alcatel-Lucent has made the shortlist for its lightRadio portfolio of solutions, which is designed to enable mobile operators to meet customer demand for increased mobile data whilst reducing energy consumption and cutting operating costs.

The portfolio is comprised of a number of solutions, including the lightRadio cube, which performs a number of roles including serving as amplifier, radio and antenna; a compression algorithm that compresses data by up to three times, a system-on-a-chip that integrates many components at the board level into the chip for a lower-power, higher-performing and space-saving device; and a software feature which up to doubles the capacity of the cell.

The lightRadio Cube offers operators a single, scalable and optimised platform for 2G, 3G and 4G, and for any frequency, and can be modified remotely via software. The lightRadio portfolio also supports a cloud-like architecture, enabling energy consumption to be cut by 50% while doubling network capacity and providing savings in operating expenses of up to 60%.

Huawei has been shortlisted for its HetNet solution, which has been designed to enhance mobile broadband networks, accommodate exponential increases in traffic, manage flow and capacity, ensure end-user satisfaction, and contain and ultimately decrease the cost per bit.

The HetNet solution consists of a series of base stations, including variable combinations of Macro, Micro, Pico and Femto units, with advanced analysis and auto-management control systems. Targeted in particular at urban scenarios where traffic hotspots occur, the solution enables a more precise and layered network to be cost-effectively deployed based on actual traffic distribution, delivering seamless coverage at both hot and blind spots.

Nokia Siemens Networks has been nominated for its Flexi Multiradio 10 Base Station, which has the ability to provide extremely large mobile broadband capacity and also enable the baseband processing to be performed at geographically dispersed sites thanks to its ability to dynamically share baseband.

The Flexi Multiradio 10 Base Station is touted as being the world’s smallest high-capacity, software-defined, multi-standard base station, whose multi-technology and multi-band capability smoothes the evolution to future radio technologies and frequency bands. The base station can support GSM, 3G, LTE (TDD & FDD)/LTE-Advanced using a single System Module.

Telecom Italia has been shortlisted for its Internet On Board High-Speed Trains initiative, which is being implemented on the high-speed train lines that connect the main Italian cities of Turin, Milan, Venice, Bologna, Florence, Rome and Naples. The telco was instructed in 2009 to design an innovative solution to deliver Internet services and locally-stored multimedia content on the entire route from Turin to Naples, covering about 850 km, including about 185 km in tunnels.

The project was started by Telecom Italia in February 2010 and completed last December, delivering both 3G and Wi-Fi coverage on board the Frecciarossa high-speed trains, with two access points and one mobile router installed in each carriage. A ruggedised server was also installed to store multimedia and infotainment content. At present, an average of 2,000 travellers per day use the system’s Wi-Fi services, with an average throughput per user of 1.6 Mbps.

And finally, ZTE Corporation has made the cut for its Smart RAN solution – a wireless access network architecture based on centralised processing, collaborative radio and real-time cloud infrastructure. The solution is designed to reduce the number of base stations required by deploying centralised baseband processing, cutting CapEx by a claimed 19% and OpEx by a claimed 72% whilst boosting performance.

The Broadband InfoVision Awards will be held in Paris on September 27th during a Gala Dinner Presentation aboard a river cruise on the Seine, travelling through the heart of the French capital. For more information and to register, please click here