Aglocell and Ericsson aim to shore up the cellular edge

Terrestrial mobile networks got a performance boost with 5G and might do so again with the emergence of 6G. But there are ongoing concerns about the performance gaps at the edges of the cellular network, those so-called “infill” areas that are served by slow, lower-band spectrum.

“One of the most challenging issues [for mobile network operators] is performance at the cell edge,” Roger Entner, founder and analyst at Recon Analysts and a former Aglocell advisor, said. Operators of all sizes are exploring algorithms and software that can optimize spectral efficiency in those areas, he explained.

Operators can alleviate some of that pressure with load-balancing and shifting some traffic to an adjacent cell. However, that adjacent cell might also be loaded.

Aglocell is trying to bridge the gap with an AI-assisted, spectral efficiency platform called SpectraMax and a RAN automation rApp that’s designed to run in multivendor network environments. Founded in 2019, Aglocell’s efforts partly trace back to its December 2023 acquisition of BandwidthX.

If mobile users are close to a cell site with access to mid or highband spectrum, they tend to get solid performance. But when they are in these infill areas, they could be getting less than 5 Mbit/s – not enough to stream Netflix in HD, per the streamer’s recommended requirements, explains Aglocell Founder and Managing Director Bruce Peterson.

In a move that should help Aglocell gain access to mobile carriers, the company announced today that it has joined the Ericsson Intelligent Automation Platform (EIAP) ecosystem that is designed to support 5G and future 6G radio access networks.

Giving the edge a helping hand

Aglocell’s initial approach is to balance load between an operator’s cell sites and the bands in use via AI-powered software. The company’s roadmap will include a capability that allows carriers to bridge the terrestrial mobile network to the fiber network using Wi-Fi. Together, the aim is to free up capacity on the lower band spectrum and improve the performance in these infill areas.

That wireless/fiber traffic steering approach is designed to move a fair amount of traffic from low-bandwidth “exhaustive cells” toward Wi-Fi, Peterson said. Lowband spectrum “is a scarce commodity for wireless carriers,” he added.

Peterson said Aglocell’s system, when combined with EIAP, would get access to data about every 15 minutes and make changes based on that data. Phase one of the EIAP integration of Aglocell’s app will focus on radio access. Phase two will involve hooking Aglocell’s technology into the core and tack on the ability to steer traffic between the fiber and mobile networks using Wi-Fi.

Trials and deployments

An obvious target for Aglocell’s tech are the mobile network operators. But the technology, Peterson stressed, could also apply to cable operators that have launched mobile with MVNO partners and are using Wi-Fi and/or CBRS to offload traffic onto their own networks.

Peterson believes the approach is a capex saver, as it enables the mobile network to improve spectral efficiency and avoid more costly densification projects, including small cell deployments.

Aglocell said pilot projects have proven out its case, noting that cell edge speeds on 21% of cell sites improved by 20% to 50% without the need for network densification. Those tests also have improved spectral efficiency for 36% of sluggish and saturated lowband cells by 20% to 80%, according to the company.

The connection to Ericsson could lead to joint sales depending on the carrier, but Aglocell is generally selling its system on its own.

At least one major US wireless carrier has pegged Aglocell for a network-wide deployment set to get underway this summer as part of a master agreement. Aglocell isn’t naming that carrier, but “it’s a large mobile operator that has fiber assets,” telecom industry vet and Aglocell advisory board member Charlie Vogt said.

AT&T is one possible candidate, given its expanding fiber network deployment and its announced plans to use Ericsson’s automation platform. Other mobile operators that have similar commitments include Australia’s Telstra, Switzerland’s Swisscom, and Vodafone.

Aglocell is looking to work with other mobile network specialists with automation platforms. Peterson said conversations with Nokia are underway but not yet with Samsung.

‘Natural tension’ with RAN hardware vendors

Though Aglocell is making some progress with this part of the ecosystem, those vendors also need to strike the right balance.

Entner notes there’s a “natural tension between infrastructure providers and [software] providers like Aglocell or Cohere. While software like this can dramatically improve the capacity and performance of a cell, “the problem is this reduces the sale for hardware,” he adds.

But it’s clear that mobile operators are keenly interested in this type of technology. So, it follows that even RAN suppliers must be cognizant of that fact despite the threats they might present to their hardware businesses. Earlier this month, Vodafone made a $15 million investment in Cohere Technologies, the company behind a capacity-boosting software platform called Universal Spectrum Multiplier that uses xApp, rather than the rApp alternative.

Founded in 2019, Aglocell has about ten employees today. It uses a licensing model based on the number of cell sites being supported by the technology. Initially, Aglocell is focused on a 36-month license with a 20% per year maintenance fee, but it is aiming to shift to a monthly software-as-a-service (SaaS) model, Peterson said.