ROMSEY, England, February 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Roke Manor Research Ltd (Roke) today launches its LTE MAC Scheduler for base stations. Vendors developing Long Term Evolution (LTE) equipment can integrate Roke's smart technology to optimise network performance, enhance user experience and reduce service delivery costs for mobile network operators.

Roke has developed mobile communication technology for Siemens since the 1990's and has over 50 years of commercial and military communications experience. The launch of the LTE MAC Scheduler marks a new phase, with Roke using its handset and base station expertise to develop solutions for the wider mobile communications market.

The success of the smartphone, netbook and mobile broadband has dramatically increased traffic on existing mobile networks. The next generation of packet-switched LTE networks offers a solution, however this relies on the efficient and intelligent use of a key asset - spectrum. Roke's LTE MAC Scheduler will enable mobile network operators to optimise spectrum utilisation through the efficient and intelligent use of the air interface.

Base station equipment vendors can easily integrate the Roke smart technology into their in-house or third-party LTE protocol stacks, enabling their products to:

    
    - Increase cell capacity and reduce cost-per-bit.
    - Increase user throughput and enhance user experience.
    - Reduce User Equipment (UE) power consumption and extend battery life
    - Support quality of service and enable new services and business models.
    - Reduce development timescales and accelerate time-to-market.

Traditionally, equipment vendors have developed scheduling technologies in-house. However, with LTE being completely packet-switched, scheduling in LTE is far more complex compared to 3G HSPA and far more critical to network performance. This escalates the cost and risk associated with in-house product development, as well as the maintenance of an upgrade programme. The increased availability of 'commercial off the shelf' (COTS) components for LTE means that vendors can now reduce risk and time to market by sourcing a solution, such as the Roke MAC Scheduler, to integrate into their own commercial products.

Patrick Fuller, Business Sector Consultant at Roke, said: "Equipment vendors can take advantage of the MAC Scheduler's advanced features to differentiate and future-proof their product. As the LTE market matures, advanced features such as MIMO, UE power management and interference co-ordination will become more important as traffic volume on networks accelerates. Roke has the breadth and depth of expertise to provide and support these advanced MAC Scheduler features.

"Vendors will also benefit from Roke engineers' expert customization and integration support. They can work with us to accelerate the product development schedule without having to make the large investment required to do it in-house," concluded Fuller.

About Roke Manor Research Ltd

Roke Manor Research Ltd. is an independent electronics research and development centre based in Romsey, Hampshire. Founded in 1956 and wholly owned by Siemens since 1991, Roke is one of the UK's leading suppliers of innovative solutions and contract R&D. Roke employs 450 staff and has over 430 patents to its name. Roke pioneers developments in electronic sensors, networks, and communications technology.

For more information, visit http://www.roke.co.uk/lte