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Radio frequency (RF) engineering is especially crucial in UMTS networks, so Bechtel has become an expert. The company’s RF engineering staff has not only optimized networks designed by others, but also designed a network from scratch.
It was a hypothetical program in which a European company wanted to test Bechtel’s competence. The network comprised some 500 square kilometers and two cities. The operator gave Bechtel basic requirements in a short presentation, and three weeks to come up with something.
In those three weeks, according to Nathan Ramasarma, senior scientist at Bechtel, the company pulled together a team, designed the network including the RF engineering, scouted suitable cell sites, surveyed site acquisition issues, and developed a proposed schedule and budget.
In addition, Bechtel engineered the UMTS radio access network for quality as well as coverage, incorporating a design for the main signal beam that would ensure top performance of the network. “That went above and beyond what any of our competitors could do,” says Ramasarma.
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