SoftBank taps Ericsson to improve indoor coverage

Japan’s SoftBank plans to deploy Ericsson’s Radio Dot system across Japan to improve indoor coverage for its large subscriber base.

The operator will target medium to large buildings in high-density urban areas including Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya with the deployment, Ericsson said. Deployment will commence in the densest areas of the three cities, in buildings including office towers, shopping malls and train stations

SoftBank began testing Radio Dot technology in Japan in June 2015 as the company explored ways to better meet the huge demand for improved indoor coverage in urban areas. Now after extensive testing and verification, the operator is ready to enter the mass deployment stage.

“We are always interested in adopting the latest technologies to ensure our subscribers receive the best possible network service,” SoftBank SVP Hideyuki Tsukuda said.

“After evaluating a number of options, we concluded that the Ericsson Radio Dot System was the most cost-efficient solution for large buildings. Its deployment in crowded urban indoor environments will enable us to meet user expectations for a consistently high quality of network coverage.”