Huawei and Schréder Launch Shuffle Site
[London, UK, November 17, 2017] At the Eighth Global Mobile Broadband Forum, Schréder, a leading global outdoor lighting solutions provider and Huawei jointly launched Shuffle Site, a multipurpose pole-shaped small cell solution. This solution combines Schréder's multifunctional LED light column Shuffle and Huawei's outdoor small cell products. With an ergonomic and aesthetically pleasing appearance hosting several practical functions, Shuffle Site will help operators leverage urban light poles to deploy small cells to enhance the coverage and capacity of mobile networks.
The world is witnessing a fast-expanding mobile broadband user base. This is combined with increasingly diverse services, which is leading to a sharp growth in mobile traffic and creating a higher demand for coverage and capacity of mobile networks. Particularly in dense urban areas, operators are in urgent need to increase network sites to enhance coverage and improve capacity. The common approach of deploying rooftop sites can no longer satisfy the requirements of growing traffic demand. Difficult site access has become one of the biggest challenges for improving service experience on mobile networks.
Schréder is the largest outdoor lighting solutions provider in Europe. In 2015, it launched a multi-purpose light pole product Shuffle. Huawei's small cell products are small and highly integrated. With joint designs and cooperation, Huawei's outdoor integrated small cells as well as their antennas and transmission devices are integrated as separate modules within Schréder's Shuffle products to form the Shuffle Site solution. As Huawei's small cells develop, Shuffle Site supports modular upgrades for easy evolution and increased functionality. During demonstrations showcased at the forum, Shuffle Site attracted wide attention from operators, customers, and industry customers from all over the world.
Shuffle Site is mainly intended for streets in dense urban areas, pedestrian street-level walkways, squares, and railway stations. By integrating small cells with light poles, Shuffle Site allows network sites to blend in well with its surroundings. This will promote the cooperation between the urban utility authority and operators in making comprehensive plans for light poles and mobile networks in cities.
On the sideline of this year's forum, Schréder and Huawei signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on strategic cooperation. Both parties are determined to expand cooperation and engage in joint efforts to realize the vision of fully connected cities.
MOU signed between Huawei and Schréder
Nicolas Keutgen, Chief Innovation Officer of Schréder Group, said: "This is an exciting time in the industry and we are delighted to be co-operating with Huawei. Our strategic partnership brings together the capabilities of two leading players to create the best end-to-end solutions to meet the needs of our customers worldwide.”
Peter Zhou, Chief Marketing Officer of Huawei's Wireless Network Product Line, said: "Site acquisition has long been troubling global telecom operators. The cross-industry cooperation between Huawei and Schréder offers an effective solution to this problem. Shuffle Site will create opportunities for operators to cooperate with urban utility departments. Such cooperation will make it possible for both parties to increase investment. It will allow for the completion of tasks that simply cannot be accomplished by a single individual party. Huawei is willing to pursue open-minded cooperation with industry partners to help deliver win-win results and contribute to building better, fully connected societies."
