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Cisco Universal Small Cell Solution Provides Multi-tenant Neutral Host Gateway

SAN JOSE, CA, June 9, 2015—Cellular One of East Central Illinois is deploying Cisco® Universal Small Cells through the use of ClearSky Technology's Small Cell as a Service (SCaaS). This is the latest example of how Cisco small cell technology is being deployed globally in a multifaceted way to cost-effectively provide residential, enterprise and outdoor small cells in a scalable, neutral host environment.

"We recognize the beneficial role small cells play in improving customer satisfaction by filling coverage gaps and increasing capacity throughout our Illinois serving area," said Cassy Carter, CEO of Cellular One. "ClearSky's Small Cell as a Service offering improved our time to market and also allowed us to do so cost-effectively by providing a best-of-breed solution from Cisco and ClearSky, making it scalable and affordable. ClearSky also provides tools like NetView 360 that allow us to accurately determine the quantity, location and type of small cells we should deploy."

ClearSky is using the Cisco Universal Small Cell (USC) solution to run the largest neutral host small cell network in the United States today. The Cisco ASR 5000 Small Cell Gateway and USC RAN Management System provide a service that can be tied to any operator, and supports thousands of small cells for homes, hotels, convention centers, manufacturing plants, hospitals, and retailers. The Cisco USC 3000, 5000, 7000 and 8000 Series give ClearSky the flexibility to offer the right small cell for each environment.

"The Cisco product line has enabled us to realize our vision of providing a neutral host gateway that can be employed by individual mobile operators to address coverage, capacity and churn challenges and by properties like hotels, apartment complexes and shopping malls that need indoor coverage from multiple operators," said Dean Fresonke, ClearSky senior vice president of business development. "The combination of the neutral host gateway and the broad array of Cisco small cells enables us to create a cost-effective solution for small- and mid-sized buildings of any size or shape. Both operators and property owners now have an entirely new way to solve their coverage and capacity problems in the millions of buildings that are too small for DAS and too big for a residential femtocell."

"Cisco is proud to work with two visionaries like Cellular One and ClearSky," said Scott Morrison, vice president of Cisco's small cell technology group. "It has been our position that small cells can be as easy to deploy as carrier-grade Wi-Fi. Through our collaboration with these two companies we've now validated this new and effective approach to small cell deployments. Cellular One is also starting to recognize a competitive advantage as employees of Cellular One's enterprise customers use their personal mobile phones from other carriers to roam onto the Cellular One network while at work. You can't argue with solid five-bar coverage indoors."