The startup is founded on the premise that LTE and future 4G networks will require a new network topology comprising many interconnected small cells to achieve the high-bandwidth promises of these next-generation radio access technologies. And those networks of small cell sites will need souped-up self-organizing network (SON) capabilities to operate effectively, which is where AirHop's software comes in.
AirHop calls it eSON -- that is, evolved SON -- because the software's features go beyond the SON elements that other vendors are working on today and what the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) standards body is adding to its future specifications, such as automated planning, installation, and configuration.
Beyond those basic SON features, AirHop's eSON does inter-cell coordination, coordinated resource and interference management, and automated installation and self-configuration.
