Westell Technologies (NASDAQ: WSTL) announced that it has begun production shipments of its Distributed Antenna System (DAS) interface panels.
“We are seeing the wireless carriers allocate more budget toward DAS and other small cell solutions to alleviate the capacity and access issues in their mobile networks,” comments Chris Shaver, senior vice president and general manager of Westell. “We found an ideal opportunity to enter the wireless carrier market with our DAS interface panels. This product line leverages our expertise in designing and delivering reliable carrier-class products that stand the test of time."
The Westell DAS interface panels are designed to be located between the base transceiver station (BTS) and the headend of the DAS. For maximum wireless coverage and throughput, carriers must ensure the RF power levels are appropriately adjusted for the DAS headend equipment; Westell says its DAS interface panels provide proper power levels for downstream DAS equipment. Both transmit and receive power levels can be monitored and adjusted without disconnecting from the BTS or the DAS headend.
According to Westell, the DAS interface panels provide a range of 0-50dB of adjustable attenuation and are capable of handling up to 80 watts of input power into a single port from the BTS. The panels have ultra-low levels of passive intermodulation distortion (PIM), ensuring minimal interference and improved performance of the BTS. The company is offering four models of DAS interface panel to cover the cellular band, the PCS band, the 700MHz band and the AWS band.
Input/output connectors are located at the edge of the panel for ease in cabling. Models are lightweight and available in 1RU or 2RU heights, providing vertical space savings. All units are temperature hardened, with an operating range of -40 to +65°C, to address both indoor and outdoor DAS installations.
More information on Westell's DAS interface panels.
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