Orange boosts mobile signal for businesses

Orange is preparing to launch business hardware that improves indoor mobile coverage.

Orange’s Onsite Coverage services uses Picocells - small, low-powered, indoor cellular base stations which can be installed in offices.

The devices have been trialled in Switzerland and will be launched in France, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and the UK during 2008. Orange is the first mobile operator in Europe to provide the technology to business customers.

Picocells route mobile calls through a fixed broadband connection, significantly improving mobile coverage in buildings where indoor penetration is poor.

They are also effective in offices in remote locations which are poorly served by operators’ standard mobile coverage.

Although Picocells can offer 3G connectivity, Orange’s Onsite Coverage service will work over GSM and GPRS.

Each unit will have the capacity to support 50 users within a 50-metre range. Base stations can be linked to support more users, or a higher volume of calls.

There will be a monthly rental fee for the picocell hardware, while calls made through the technology will be charged at the same rate as those made through Orange’s standard network.