Facebook Connectivity has been working with VoltServer to develop a new “SuperCell” technology to provide rural broadband coverage. SuperCell uses taller towers and high-gain, narrow-sectored antennas to increase mobile data range and capacity. Their field measurements found that a 36-sector SuperCell base station mounted on a 250-meter tower can serve a geographical coverage area up to 65 times larger than a standard three-sector rural macro base station on a 30-meter tower in the same topography. A SuperCell can replace 15-25 sites, and that resulted in about 33% lower total cost of ownership from the point of view of the mobile network operator that would want to cover that same area with alternative means.
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