Telecom Lead Asia: China Unicom has deployed Huawei’s Blade Remote Radio Unit (RRU) solution.

The solution utilizes a new generation of distributed base station products designed especially for operators building and optimizing multi-band and multi-mode networks.

China Unicom, which launched WCDMA network on October 1, 2009, is expanding hotspot coverage to enhance network capacity and ensure better user experience. Huawei’s Blade RRU solution is expected to address fresh challenges from its network expansion.

A single deployed RRU that makes up part of the Blade RRU solution is a 12 cubic meters and 14 kg, significantly smaller in size and weight than industry-standard products. Its modular design was inspired by “blade server” style functionality, and supports seamless assembly for multi-band, multi-mode, and multi-sector flexible network expansion.

The Blade RRU solution is highly effective in reducing the number of on-site modules, simplifying and reducing requirements for site space, equipment installation, and maintenance costs. It is also especially well-suited for rapid network building and expansion in dense urban areas.

The Blade RRU solution is compatible with existing services and architecture of China Unicom’s WCDMA network, and has empowered the operator to introduce 4G / LTE in the future. The RRUs deployed for China Unicom as part of the solution currently support HSPA+ 21 Mb/s high-speed broadband services, and will be able to achieve speeds of 84 Mbps with software upgrades.

“Huawei’s Blade RRU distributed base station solution has been widely adopted throughout the China telecom market. The solution will further simplify network deployment for operators worldwide. Huawei’s innovative products and solutions will help China Unicom continue to improve the quality of its network while meeting growing demands for MBB services and providing the capability for fast and smooth evolution to LTE,” said Ying Weimin, president of Huawei’s GSM/UMTS/LTE Product Line.

[email protected]