Industrial IoT device company MultiTech Systems announced the availability of a new, FCC Part 15 and 96-authorized cellular-to-Ethernet CBRS bridge, supporting initial commercial deployments of OnGo Citizens Broadband Radio Service networks, as well as an industrial CBRS router sampling for qualified customers.
The company said that the MultiConnect eCell and MultiConnect rCell 600 are designed to connect a wide range of new and legacy assets to dedicated, mission-critical private LTE and neutral host public access CBRS networks, in collaboration with the CBRS Alliance. They leverage the FCC open mid-band spectrum between 3.55-3.7 GHz that was commercially launched on September 18, the company said.
“Private LTE networks enable enhanced mobility, security and quality of service (QoS) for any connected device, including PCs, tablets and handhelds as well as industrial IoT devices,” said Joel Lindholm, vice president, CBRS LTE Business for Commscope. “With their extensive history of enabling industrial connections, extensive cellular expertise and experience supporting private IoT networks, collaborating with MultiTech enables the Ruckus CBRS LTE portfolio to support compelling new use cases that only private LTE networks can effectively address.”
As a CBRS Alliance member, MultiTech said it is among the first to develop products that conform with the OnGo specifications, addressing dedicated and private LTE networks that provide secure connectivity to the newly available CBRS mid-band spectrum.
“Since joining the Alliance, MultiTech has been an active advocate for CBRS and OnGo,” said Alan Ewing, executive director of the CBRS Alliance. “The eCell Ethernet to OnGo bridge device is hitting the market just in time to support initial commercial deployments, just approved by the FCC.”
The MultiConnect eCell cellular to Ethernet bridge enables plug-and-play CBRS connectivity for existing smart assets as primary connectivity or as a failover, should wired connections become compromised.
Applications leveraging the MultiConnect eCell include:
-JMA XRAN virtual baseband enabling CBRS OnGo for video, internal communications and digital displays at major venues and CBRS trial sites.
-Geoverse private LTE, monitoring commercial building entrances in real-time.
-Commscope working with its customers to connect vital-sign monitor carts in hospitals as they roll from room to room with reliable and secure CBRS connectivity.
-Syniverse Innovation Lab, using video surveillance to monitor its smart IoT-based parking lot.
“Liberalization of mid-band spectrum policy in the US and abroad has made way for a paradigm shift in the way cellular networks are deployed: from thousands of wireless operators to millions of sites with their own cellular network, including sports venues, airports, malls, hotels, mines, manufacturing facility and enterprise office spaces,” said Daniel Quant, VP strategic development for MultiTech. “Ours are among the first hardened IoT devices that offer securely managed after-market Private LTE and CBRS connectivity to a broad range of assets to accelerate industrial enterprise digital transformation today.”
The eCell CBRS Ethernet bridge is certified with the Athonet Connectivity Platform to reliably connect any Ethernet device to an OnGo network. It is also compliant to Ericsson Industry Connect, and is validated with the JMA XRAN virtual RAN solution for both CBRS and licensed bands.
The MultiConnect rCell 600 Series industrial router is IPv6 capable and is equipped with: four 10/100/1000 Ethernet interfaces; RS232/RS485; USB, and GPIO interfaces, plus a Wi-Fi access point.