Dense Air: Bridging infrastructure and the cloud; shaping the ecosystem of shared wireless services

With the telecommunications industry on the cusp of 5G transformation and enterprises facing the challenge of providing seamless wireless coverage for employees, customers and IoT devices, Dense Air, Radisys, and EdgeQ have formed a world-class partnership. This ecosystem is poised to disrupt the conventional market and assert leadership in the delivery of integrated neutral host solutions As a Service—ushering in a new era of connectivity.

We are introducing a first-of-its-kind platform designed to revolutionize how cellular networks operate within buildings and outdoor spaces. Our technology creates a single, streamlined network from small-cell infrastructure that supports both public and private cellular services. This innovative approach is not only more cost-effective but also easier and quicker to deploy, ensuring reliable coverage where it’s needed most.

“We are changing the paradigm with our approach to solving network connectivity gaps. This partnership has enabled us to offer a scalable shared network platform As-a-Service, that securely and seamlessly integrates operator networks with enterprise deployments. Our end-to-end turnkey solution provides a quick to deploy resilient multi-tenant, carrier-grade platform that extends carrier networks and provides uninterrupted network coverage at a fraction of the cost of competing solutions,” said Jim Estes, CEO of Dense Air.

Dense Air, Radisys, and EdgeQ are committed to developing and streamlining solutions that are not just effective today but are also adaptable for tomorrow’s advancements. Our goal is to enable businesses, cities, carriers, and third-party operators to connect effortlessly in various settings.

Dense Air bridges connectivity gaps through its unique approach that includes:

As-a-Service shared network infrastructure
Turnkey end-to-end solution
Cutting-edge innovations
Data-driven coverage gap analysis
Cloud-native security and scalability

Thinking holistically about your investments and how to deliver optimal customer experiences, we bring an open and inclusive perspective to ensure a comprehensive and sustainable business plan to achieve continuous connectivity.

As-a-Service approach to shared network infrastructure

We are at the forefront of a network revolution, transitioning away from the traditional reliance on bulky, fixed hardware to a dynamic, shared network model. For the first time, our RAN-as-a-Service offering enables multiple network operators and businesses to utilize the same infrastructure concurrently, enhancing efficiency like never before. Our approach marries the reliability of in-building systems with the versatility of small cell units, ensuring comprehensive network coverage precisely where it’s required. Our network is designed for agility, leveraging high-speed wired connections for core transmission tasks alongside the adaptability of wireless access points for expansive coverage.

Our offering is an operational expenditure, rather than a capital expenditure, providing an alternative funding path with amplified cost efficiencies.

The neutral host shared network infrastructure provides users with benefits such as a smaller IT footprint, faster deployment time, and greater extensibility. This disaggregated approach to building mobile networks allows for interoperability between hardware and software components from different suppliers, fostering innovation, flexibility, and cost efficiency in deploying and managing mobile networks.

Turnkey end-to-end solution

Dense Air enables a turnkey end-to-end solution, meticulously overseeing the entire customer lifecycle—from the initial contact to post on-air network monitoring and maintenance. Leveraging existing physical infrastructure — such as light poles, utility poles, and rooftops — we optimize network construction costs, enabling faster deployment with minimal disruption to communities. Our seamless integration into operators’ networks, coupled with a resilient multi-tenant platform, allows us to tailor user experiences to specific use cases, prioritizing essential requirements.

We manage and support networks, enhancing connectivity in both 4G and 5G environments. This ensures efficient deployment across indoor and existing outdoor street-side assets, minimizing operational costs while maximizing service delivery. Dense Air’s proprietary cellShare solution introduces remote visibility, facilitating the management of each cell site while offering centralized interconnectivity for diverse applications. We guarantee carrier-grade Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) through continuous monitoring by our 24/7/365 Network Operating Center (NOC) and dedicated in-house Tier II and Tier III support.

Cutting-edge industry innovations

In collaboration with EdgeQ, we are introducing a groundbreaking innovation in network technology. EdgeQ has developed the world’s first base station on a chip, a monumental leap forward that empowers operators, cloud service providers, and enterprises with the unprecedented capability to build, configure, and deploy both public and private networks. This innovation simplifies network architecture while offering scalability and affordability, merging 4G, 5G, and AI functionalities onto a single chip. This unified approach allows for elastic scalability in performance and features through software upgrades, heralding a new era in network design. Customers can now create new product categories with significantly reduced cost, power consumption, and spatial requirements.

Working together, we are pioneering technology to deliver:

A unified system that supports simultaneous 4G and 5G operations with less than 15 Watts of SoC power.
Versatile designs that can adapt antenna configurations from 2×2, 4×4, to 8×8, catering to a wide range of network demands.
Advanced capabilities for up to 4 multi-carrier aggregation on 4T4R small cells, specifically tailored for enterprise private networks.
The flexibility of asymmetric carrier aggregation across various bandwidths and licensed bands.
The ability to elastically scale from 64 to 256 active users, accommodating growing network demands.

This collaboration and EdgeQ’s leading carrier aggregation solution significantly shift the economics of 5G service delivery, marking key differentiators in the market.

Together, we are not just advancing technology; we are redefining the possibilities for 5G infrastructure, making it more accessible, efficient, and adaptable to future needs.

Big data coverage gap analysis.

To help customers understand where there is a lack of coverage today and build out their roadmap for the future, our denseWare analytics tool evaluates coverage at the user level to determine where best to make investments.

Our proprietary big data analytics platform indicates where the network struggles with congestion, coverage, and performance across each carrier, city, and property. Pinpointing where indoor and outdoor connectivity issues exist removes the need for initial on-site visits, driving down cost and increasing efficiencies while enabling us to provide tailored, small cell solutions to infill the gaps and improve user experiences.

Cloud native: Security & Scalability

Dense Air is pioneering a transformative approach to 5G network deployment by building an advanced ecosystem, anchored in a cloud-native architecture. This strategy, enhanced by our collaboration with Radisys and supported by the robust infrastructure of Google Cloud’s Platform, focuses on delivering unparalleled security, scalability, and efficient operations of neutral host services. Radisys brings to the table a versatile Open RAN solution, combining Central and Distributed Units that are now supercharged by Google Cloud’s scalable and secure foundation, setting a new pace for 5G rollouts.

Our cloud-native network architecture is designed to meet the dynamic demands of network operators. It offers the flexibility to scale coverage and capacity seamlessly, acting as a robust extension of existing network infrastructures, providing the same operational experience. This ensures that our network not only expands the operators’ reach but does so with the utmost security. Adhering to the latest 3GPP and O-RAN standards, our solution is built for compatibility and future readiness. It’s deployable across both public and private clouds, utilizing container technology on Containers as a Service (CaaS) platforms. This allows for the deployment of dedicated, secure network instances for each operator, ensuring their connections remain protected.

The cloud-native advantage lies in its ability to foster secure, scalable, and resilient applications. With Google Cloud Platform, we leverage state-of-the-art security measures like data encryption, both at rest and in transit, and sophisticated identity and access management. The platform’s global infrastructure and auto-scaling capabilities ensure that resources are efficiently allocated, maintaining optimal performance at reduced costs. Furthermore, our use of containerization simplifies the deployment, scaling, and management of networks, providing a flexible and powerful solution for today’s demands.

By supporting hybrid and multi-cloud setups, we offer unparalleled flexibility, allowing customers to select the most suitable environments for their needs. This approach not only facilitates easier integration and management but also positions Dense Air as a leader in facilitating next-generation network solutions.

Dense Air’s ecosystem introduces a resilient and adaptable As-a-Service strategy through a cloud-native, multi-operator, neutral host solution with versatile spectrum utilization. By bridging the gap between physical infrastructure and the cloud, we are enabling users to seamlessly connect and stay connected through a cost-effective solution.

Link to press release: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dense-air-joins-forces-with-radisys-and-edgeq-to-shape-the-ecosystem-of-shared-wireless-at-mwc-302068038.html?tc=eml_cleartime