Product Assessment: Report Date: Analyst: Service: Market: Class: Current Perspective:

Ericsson - RBS 6000 Series

February 09, 2012 Gubbins, Ed Service Provider Infrastructure Mobile Access LTE eNodeB

Summary
Buying Criteria

Current Perspective Ericssons LTE base stations led by the RBS 6201, 6202 and 6601 are threatening to the competition. Notable characteristics of the RBS 6000 family include strong capacity scalability and broad support of spectrum bands. How ever, the RBS 6000 family still comes up short in terms of low -capacity and small cell solutions. Each model in the portfolio uses a different base station architecture. The RBS 6201 is a full-sized frame-based solution. The RBS 6202 is rack-mounted. The RBS 6601 uses a distributed architecture consisting of a base band unit (BBU) and remote radio unit (RRU). The RBS 6201 and 6601 both support 12 20-MHz LTE carriers in a single frame. The RBS 6000 family, in addition to LTE, also supports GSM, W CDMA and CDMA2000. For outdoor deployments, the vendor markets the RBS 6101, RBS 6102, RBS 6601, RBS 6301 and RBS 6302. The vendors antenna integrated radio (AIR) solution, introduced in early 2011, combines the antenna and radio into a single unit w ith the baseband unit located separately, promising greater efficiency and ease of installation. The RBS 6000 family can scale capacity beyond a single frame, w hich supports six to 12 carriers, depending on the base station model. But Ericsson didnt specify how many frames could be chained together (its older base stations could support nine-frame chains). The RBS 6000 series also promises support for 10 different spectrum bands, allow ing it to meet most operators deployment requirements, and it promises multi-standard support for nearly all of the major w ireless technologies. In addition, Ericssons proven success in the market testifies in support of its vision and execution in LTE: at least 20 commercial contracts and eight live netw orks, including Verizon W ireless, AT&T and TeliaSonera. It may not be the longest list but includes some of the biggest names. How ever, some areas of concern linger. Nearly a year after its demonstration of CDMA2000 support in the RBS 6000 series, the specifics of that support are still murky, an odd stance given that one of Ericssons most high-profile LTE w ins relates to a CDMA netw ork (Verizons). Perhaps more importantly going forw ard, the vendor doesnt market a purpose-built low -capacity base station, and its repurposed RBS 6601 may represent overkill for true low -capacity requirements. Small cells from competitors delivering all-in-one base station designs are coming to market w ith very small footprints and low installation requirements. Ericsson has instead focused on AIR, its Antenna Integrated Radio platform, as its answ er to small-cell requirements. Though AIR might meet some of these needs, it isnt a complete substitute for a small cell (it w as unveiled w ithout any data on its unit size, for example). Time and market demand w ill determine how much of a liability Ericssons incomplete position in small cells w ill become. Target Markets Global Carriers

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths Capacity Scalability: Ericsson may not have provided specific capacity scalability figures for the RBS 6000 series, Weaknesses Small Cell: Ericsson so far has not joined the likes of NEC, NSN, and ZTE w hen it comes to offering a small, all-in-one

but it has indicated that its frames may be chained together for scale, allow ing them to grow in accordance w ith spectrum availability. Each model offers six or 12 carriers per frame, though the vendor w ont disclose their total capacity at maximum configuration. (As many as nine of the vendors older base stations could be chained.) W hatever RBS 6000 series ultimate level of scalability, it promises to support mobile operators grow th imperatives. W CDMA Carrier Capacity High-Capacity Base Station: Ericssons RBS 6201 can support 48 sector carriers (SC) of W CDMA capacity, a nearly best-in-class performance. This is important, as migration from W CDMA to LTE w ont be instantaneous; it w ill rely on ongoing support of W CDMA from infrastructure vendors. Output Pow er: Ericsson claims its LTE base stations can support a maximum pow er output level of 80 W , on par w ith the top claims coming from its competitors. The vendor has also promised support for 100 W , w hich w ould put it w ell ahead of the pack. Pow er output represents a base stations ability to push RF signals out to users. High output pow er enhances coverage by extending cell reach or penetrating deeper into structures. Spectrum Support: Ericsson claims its RBS 6000 LTE base stations can support 10 different spectrum bands and can add more depending on market demand. This w ide range of options should satisfy most operators needs. The more spectrum bands a base station can support, the greater flexibility the base station has in terms of markets w here it can be deployed. Multi-Standard Support: Ericsson promises support for CDMA2000, GSM, W CDMA/HSPA, LTE and TD-LTE on its RBS 6000 platform leaving few mobile standards that Ericsson cant support. Mobile operators expect multistandard netw ork solutions from their infrastructure vendors, to help those operators migrate from one technology to the next efficiently and gradually. Market Momentum: Though Ericsson has stopped updating its tally of LTE customer w ins and trials, it reported 20 netw ork deployment w ins in mid-2011, w ith eight of those w ins already then commercial, and more than 50 trials. The vendor has been a RAN supplier on some of the more high-profile deployments to date TeliaSonera, the first commercial LTE netw ork, along w ith Verizon W ireless and AT&T, tw o of the largest deployments thus far. In all, the vendors early LTE success speaks w ell of its LTE RAN solutions and gives it credibility w ith mobile operators.

base station. Instead the vendor has positioned its AIR as a small-cell alternative. W hile AIR might address some of the same requirements that small cells do, AIR doesnt match small cells in terms of footprint, being an all-in-one solution, or overall ease of installation. Add to this Ericssons tepid public comments on the subject, and operators interested in small cells may see Ericsson as less committed to the concept than its rivals. Radio Receive Sensitivity: Ericsson makes a valid argument for not providing receive sensitivity data for its RBS 6000 platform: vendor-to-vendor comparisons are difficult to make and can be misleading. Still, a lack of transparency can be used against the vendor by competitors, w ho w ill claim Ericsson is hiding a w eakness. Though RF pow er output is important for getting RF signals out to users, strong receive sensitivity allow s a BTS to hear signals from low -pow er devices (e.g., handsets). CDMA Support: W hile Ericsson says it now has a multistandard solution for CDMA and LTE using its RBS6000 base station family, how that support is achieved remains unclear a year after it demonstrated such support at CTIA. The vendor did not specify if CDMA and LTE w ere supported in the same baseband unit, separate base band units, or in some other manner. W ith other w ireless infrastructure vendors claiming to support CDMA and LTE on a single BBU, Ericssons unclear messaging in this area could hurt it. Mass High-Capacity Base Station: Ericssons RBS 6201 w eighs just under 215 kg, making it one of the heavier cabinet style base stations. Heavier base stations can increase operator expense due to the need for more labor or equipment to install and w ork on them. Communication Breakdow n: Ericsson has not updated the performance data on its LTE products since mid-2011, and it has failed to provide clarity on some earlier promises, such as its support for CDMA2000 and 4x4 MIMO support. Add to this a lack of transparency on other matters, such as the maximum capacity of its eNodeBs, and the vendor can sow doubt and confusion in the minds of operators, making it harder for customers to properly evaluate Ericssons products. Short Customer Reference List: Although Ericsson boasts some of the most enviable w ins in the LTE market, including AT&T and Verizon W ireless, it has ceased reporting the number of LTE contracts it has, unlike other vendors. As a result, theres no clear picture of how varied or geographically dispersed the vendors w ins are or how w ell its keeping pace w ith rivals penetration of the global market. Again, greater transparency w ould help operators judge its strengths relative to rivals.

Point and Counterpoint

Point Alcatel-Lucent w ill criticize Ericssons lack of transparency on a number of fronts, from its support for CDMA or 4x4 MIMO to the capacity limits of its base stations. The lack of information, ALU w ill say, makes it harder for operators to judge Ericssons true performance and could represent an attempt to hide shortcomings. Point Nokia Siemens Netw orks w ill question the radio receive sensitivity performance of Ericssons base stations, as the latter does not provide this data. NSN w ill suggest that Ericssons eNodeBs cant match rival solutions w hen it comes to hearing end-user devices, w hich could impact customer satisfaction. Counterpoint Ericsson w ill respond that its customers are w ellacquainted w ith its products performance and w ill point to its role in supplying some of the w orlds biggest LTE deployments (such as AT&Ts and Verizons) as proof that its products have passed the ultimate test of large-scale live commercial netw orks. Counterpoint Ericssons defense w ill be that there is no agreed upon methodology for determining radio receive sensitivity, making true apples-to-apples vendor comparisons difficult. W ith that being the case, Ericsson doesnt w ant to mislead mobile operators about its receive sensitivity performance so it doesnt make those measures public. Meanw hile, the vendor w ill point to its many high-profile customer deployments as proof that operators have not discovered any significant hidden w eaknesses.

Point Kyocera, NEC and ZTE w ill all say Ericssons lack of a small-cell solution show s the vendor has not developed a strategy for this area of grow ing importance. Small cells are designed to add coverage and capacity make base station deployments easier, and to bring the netw ork closer to the end-user to improve capacity performance.

Counterpoint Ericssons response w ill be that a current lack of a small cell doesnt mean it has no strategy in this area. The company w ill point out that its AIR solution addresses some of the issues small cells are designed to handle. W ith its antenna and radio in one unit, AIR w ill make deployments easier than a traditional base station and reduce some of the capacity loss found w hen these tw o base station elements are dispersed, Ericsson w ill argue.

Buying/Selecting Criteria
Base Station Capacity

LTE Carriers High-Capacity Base Station: Ericssons RBS 6201 and RBS 6601 both support a maximum of 12 carriers at 20 MHz in a single frame, w ith the RBS 6202 promising half that capacity. W hile other vendors can promise more single-frame capacity, Ericssons RBS 6000 family should meet most operator requirements. The vendor says it can deliver higher capacity by combining and synchronizing multiple cabinets, w hich suggests scalability to 24 carriers, at a minimum, on either the 6201 or 6601. High-capacity can have a positive impact on CapEx and OpEx, as it can help low er the number of base stations an operator needs to deploy in order to service its end users. LTE Carriers Low -Capacity Base Station: Ericsson also markets its RBS 6601 as a low -capacity solution. W ith the ability to scale to 12 carriers at 20 MHz, the 6601 risks being overkill for some low -capacity deployments. It is essentially a repurposed high-capacity solution, in contrast to NSN and ZTEs purpose-built low -capacity base stations. Low -capacity base stations give service providers an option to extend capacity into hard-to-reach areas cost effectively: inside buildings, along highw ays, valleys or in areas w ith low population or usage. GSM TRX: Ericssons RBS 6201 scales up to 48 GSM TRXs. The RBS 6202 and RBS 6601 have half the capacity of the RBS 6201; topping out at 24 TRXs. Ericssons GSM capacity is the low est reported by all major competitors. How ever, as the vendor does not provide scalability details beyond that of a single frame, total GSM capacity could be under reported. An ability to support a large number of users w ith a single base station, thanks to strong capacity support, helps operators control CapEx. W CDMA Carriers: Ericssons three LTE base stations deliver W CDMA carrier capacities in line w ith their GSM capacities, though the vendor enjoys a more competitive position here than it does in GSM capacity. The 6201 scales to 48 sector carriers (SC), bested only by NSNs Flexi Multiradio 10. The 6202 and 6601 can support 24 SC each, matching Alcatel-Lucent and ZTE. A lack of scalability detail, beyond w hat is delivered in a single frame, could mean actual capacity is higher than stated. As the end-user migration from one radio technology generation to the next isnt uniform, it is important for infrastructure vendors to provide operators w ith netw orking solutions that have adequate capacity to support all types of users. Capacity Scalability: Ericsson does not disclose the carrier scalability of its LTE base stations beyond their single-frame configurations. Its rivals, w hich do provide this data, report in nearly all cases that their eNodeBs dont scale higher than their single-frame configurations. Ericsson, w hose single-frame capacities put its eNodeBs in the middle of the pack among competing offers, notes only that total capacity can be increased depending on spectrum availability. Scalability benefits operators as it allow s them to plan for grow th in their user base w ithout having to invest in a completely new set of base stations.

RF Performance

Output Pow er: The pow er output level of Ericssons base stations, at 80 W , puts them at the top of their class, though tied w ith several other vendors. Future plans to make output levels to 100 W w ould push the vendors base stations beyond w hat any of its current competitors promise. Pow er output represents a base stations ability to push RF signals out to users. High output pow er enhances coverage by extending cell reach or penetrating deeper into structures. Radio Receive Sensitivity: Unlike all its major rivals, Ericsson does not provide receive sensitivity data for its LTE base stations; the company says such measurements include too many variables to allow meaningful product comparisons. Though RF pow er output is important for getting RF signals out to users, strong receive sensitivity allow s a BTS to hear signals from low -pow er devices (e.g., handsets). Spectrum Support: Ericssons three base stations support the follow ing spectrum bands: 700, 800, 850, 1700, 1800, 1900, 2100, 2300 and 2600 MHz, and AW S. Only NSN supports more bands. Ericsson says it can add support for other bands based on market need, but w ith support for 10 bands, Ericsson should meet the needs of most mobile operators now . Operators are generally limited to select spectrum bands that they acquire the rights to from their national government. The more spectrum bands a base station supports, the more deployment scenarios it can support. Antenna Configuration: Like all of its fellow infrastructure vendors, Ericsson reports its base stations currently support 2X2 MIMO and promised support for 4x4 MIMO by late 2011, w hich w ould put the vendor on par w ith its competitors. How ever, Ericsson hasnt updated the status of those plans, w hich is cause for concern, even if 2X2 meets most current operator requirements. Multiple Input/Multiple Output (MIMO) antenna support is a critical feature of LTE, allow ing for better coverage and/or better capacity.

Site Deployment Flexibility

Space Efficiency High-Capacity Base Station: Ericssons RBS 6201 delivers 12 LTE carriers in a 0.24 m2 footprint, w hich equates to 50 carriers per square meter. Its RBS 6202 promises 33 carriers per square meter. Both represent middle-of-the-pack space efficiency relative to competing solutions. (The 6601, w hen w all-mounted, has no floor-space footprint.) Since base station real estate is at a premium, LTE

base stations that can support a high number of sector-carriers in a small space provide OpEx savings. Outdoor Adjuncts: Ericsson has five outdoor base station solutions: the RBS 6101, RBS 6102, RBS 6601, RBS 6302 and RBS 6301. These last tw o base stations w ere announced at the 2011 Mobile W orld Congress and w ere planned for commercial availability before the end of last year. W hile most deployments favor indoor base station placement, the availability of an outdoors adjunct allow s the vendor to address a greater range of deployment scenarios. The availability of outdoor adjuncts is fairly common across infrastructure vendors. Mass High-Capacity Base Station: Ericssons RBS 6201 w eighs just under 215 kg. Only ZTEs and Huaw eis base stations w eigh more. Ericssons other tw o base stations are substantially lighter; the 6202 w eighs 65-70 kg per unit, and the 6601 reports 10.5 kg for the main unit and 20 kg for the remote radio head. These w eights compare w ell w ith base station offerings from other vendors. Low er mass base stations benefit from greater ease of installation. Higher mass base stations can increase operator expense due to the need for more labor or equipment to install and w ork on them. Remote Radio Support: Ericsson reports its RBS 6201, 6202 and 6601 all support remote radio heads, putting the vendor on even footing w ith its rivals, w hich all offer distributed base stations as w ell. The RBS 6601 can support up to 12 RRUs per BBU. Distributed base station solutions allow s for netw ork coverage/capacity in areas that cannot support a full base station deployment. It is good for hard to reach areas. Transport Options: All of Ericssons base stations support E1, T1, J1 and STM1 for circuit transport w ith GSM and W CDMA traffic. Packet transport for the base stations is 100bT, GigE and ATM. Packet capacity can be shared betw een GSM, CDMA, W CDMA and LTE. Ericsson is the only vendor to promise sharing of packet capacity among the different traffic types at the base station, w hich can provide OpEx savings. Also of note, the RBS 6000 base station family can handle transport operations and maintenance functions directly on the BBU card. A w ide range of transmission and backhaul options enables mobile operators to leverage multiple transport netw ork architectures and assets, ensuring the backhaul w ill support new data services, aggregate traffic onto higher capacity links for cost savings, etc.

Technology Evolution and Market Position

GSM/W CDMA Support High-Capacity Base Station: Ericssons three high-capacity base stations support both GSM and W CDMA communications, as do those from all major competitors. Operators transitioning to LTE w ant support of their existing 2G and 3G operations. Infrastructure vendors are also eyeing multi-standard solutions as a w ay of selling a netw ork refresh at the time of LTE deployment. GSM/W CDMA Support Low -Capacity Base Station: Ericssons RBS 6601 low -capacity LTE base station supports both GSM and W CDMA netw ork traffic. This allow s Ericsson to take advantage of benefits coming from multi-standard support across its entire LTE base station portfolio. It is not, how ever, a distinguishing characteristic; all of Ericssons major rivals offer something similar. CDMA2000 Support: Ericsson says it can provide a multi-standard CDMA/LTE solution but isnt specific in how that support is achieved, even a year after such support w as demonstrated at an industry event. Both technologies may or may not be supported in the same BBU. Both Huaw ei and ZTE say they can support CDMA and LTE concurrently in one BBU, w hich can help an operator save on CapEx. W hile not as common as GSM and W CDMA, CDMA2000 support offers similar benefits. Market Momentum: Ericsson has demonstrated strong momentum in the LTE market, claiming contract w ins w ith some of the w orlds top operators, including AT&T, Verizon W ireless, China Mobile, TeliaSonera, Vodafone (Germany) and NTT DoCoMo. How ever, its difficult to compare the vendors momentum w ith that of rivals because unlike most of them, Ericsson has ceased reporting the number of its LTE contracts and trials. Still, as one of the w orlds most successful GSM and W CDMA vendors, the company has a very deep set of operator relationships it can leverage for LTE moving forw ard.

Metrics
High-Capacity BTS - Indoor
Model Name Components Outdoor Adjuncts Dimensions Footprint Mass Multi-chassis Max LTE Carriers per Frame Max LTE Carriers Spectrum Support Receive Sensitivity Output Power Options Antenna Configurations RBS 6201; RBS 6202, RBS 6601 Full sized, frame based; rack based; distributed main and remote units RBS 6101; RBS 6102; RBS 6601; RBS 6301; RBS 6302 1435x600x400mm; 489 x 483 x 370 mm; 19" rack, 1.5 HU 0.24m2; 0.18m2; zero footprint; Data not provided <215kg; ~65-70kg; main unit 10.5kg, remote radio 20kg All: Yes 12 @ 20MHz; 6 @ 20MHz; 12 @ 20MHz

All: Data not provided All: 700 MHz, 800 MHz, 850MHz, 1700MHz, 1800MHz, 1900MHz, 2100MHz, 2300MHz, 2600MHz, AW S and other bands as needed Data not provided All: 80W @ 20MHz (100W planned) All: 2x2

Remote Radio Support Circuit Transport Packet Transport GSM Support WCDMA Support CDMA2000 Support TD-LTE Support Commercial Availability Simultaneous Multi-Standard Support Other Models

All: Yes All: E1/T1/J1, STM-1 applicable for GSM/W CDMA, for LTE IP/TDM using Multi Link PPP All: 100bT, GigE, ATM, and ATM IMA group supported in W CDMA. 2G/3G/CDMA/LTE IP co-transport sharing 48 TRX; 24 TRX; 24 TRX 48 SC; 24 SC; 24 SC All: Yes All: Yes All: Yes All: Simultaneous support - yes, dynamic support - no

RBS 2000 and RBS 3000 Macro family support LTE

Low-Capacity BTS - Indoor and Outdoor

Model Name Components Outdoor Adjuncts Dimensions Footprint Mass Multi-chassis Max LTE Carriers per Frame Max LTE Carriers Spectrum Support Receive Sensitivity Output Power Options Antenna Configurations Remote Radio Support Circuit Transport Packet Transport GSM Support WCDMA Support CDMA2000 Support TD-LTE Support Commercial Availability Simultaneous Multi-Standard Support Other Models RBS 6601 Distributed main and remote units RBS 6601 Fits into 19" rack, 1.5 HU Data not provided (Zero footprint w hen mounted) Main unit 10.5 kg; remote radio 20 kg - up to 12 radio units per main Yes 12 @ 20MHz

All: Data not provided 700MHz, 800MHz, 850MHz, 1700MHz, 1800MHz, 1900MHz, 2100MHz, 2600 MHz, AW S Data not provided All: 80W @ 20MHz (100W planned) All: 2x2 Yes, RRUS 01 and RRUS 11, both can scale to 12 per main unit w ith 40W or 80W options E1/T1/J1, STM-1 applicable for GSM/W CDMA, for LTE IP/TDM using Multi Link PPP 100bT, GigE, ATM, and ATM IMA group supported in W CDMA. 2G/3G/CDMA/LTE IP co-transport sharing 24 TRX 24 SC Yes Yes Yes All: Simultaneous support - yes, dynamic support - no

RBS 2000 and RBS 3000 Macro family supports LTE

Other
Major Customer Wins Miscellaneous
All m aterials Copyright 1997-2012 Current Analysis, Inc. Reproduction prohibited without ex press written consent. Current Analysis logos are tradem ark s of Current Analysis, Inc. The inform ation and opinions contained herein have been based on inform ation obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but such accuracy cannot be guaranteed. All views and analysis ex pressed are the opinions of Current Analysis and all opinions ex pressed are subject to change without notice. Current Analysis does not m ak e any financial or legal recom m endations associated with any of its services, inform ation, or analysis and reserves the right to change its opinions, analysis, and recom m endations at any tim e based on new inform ation or revised analysis. Current Analysis, Inc.

More than 20 deployment w ins, including AT&T, China Mobile, NTT DoCoMo, Verizon, Telia Sonera, Vodafone (Germany); 8 commercial netw orks

Current Analysis, Inc. 21335 Signal Hill Plaza, Second Floor, Sterling, VA 20164 Tel: 877-787-8947 Fax : +1 (703) 404-9300 Current Analysis, Inc. 2 rue Troyon, 92316 Sevres Cedex , Paris, France Tel: +33 (1) 41 14 83 17 http://www.currentanalysis.com