CSI targeting SMBs with one-size-fits-all indoor coverage kit

Cellular Specialties has developed an ‘out of the box’ indoor wireless coverage solution with minimal planning and integration requirements and is targeting it at small-and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), one of the largest customer segments in the world, but one that has few alternatives for indoor coverage solutions.

Large enterprises often can persuade their operators to deploy indoor system, or have the resources to deploy large-scale systems on their own, while homes and small offices are now getting access to carrier femtocells. Cellular Specialties, or CSI, has designed a digital repeater-distributed antenna system (DAS) architecture priced under $10,000 that would allow businesses in between an enterprise and small office to quickly and cheaply deploy an indoor wireless network with their operators’ permission, said Kelley Carr, President of custom solutions at CSI.

“It’s ideal for businesses that are two big for a femtocell, but not big enough accounts with a wireless operator to get them to deploy an indoor system,” Carr said.

While most indoor systems require extensive site planning and integration, CSI has developed a one-size-fits-all solution that can be customized on site for any deployment, just like a cable technician can wire a home for Internet and cable TV in one visit. While not self-install, deployment doesn’t require any kind of pre-planning or any site surveys—a CSI technician can layout the network on the first visit, lopping 15% to 20% off the cost of implementing a solution, Carr said.

The system also has the advantage of being linked to specific operator, which makes it much more appealing to operators. While building developers and managers as well as large enterprises tend to deploy carrier neutral equipment when they absorb the cost of an indoor system, CSI’s repeater functions much the way a femtocell does: it is tuned to a specific operator’s frequencies and is controlled remotely by the carrier. So when an operator agrees to allow a SMB to implement the system, it doesn’t have to worry about its competitors gaining the same coverage advantages, Carr said.

Currently the indoor wireless kit has been approved for the Verizon Wireless (NYSE:VZ, NYSE:VOD) network. A customer must first call Verizon to go through a qualification process. Once passed, Verizon simply refers the customer to CSI, which then makes an appointment to install the system at the customer’s expense. CSI also has relationships with all of the other US operators, though, so the indoor kit could eventually make it to their networks.