Wireless operators have been hesitant to embrace high-temperature superconducting (HTS) filters for several reasons. They are more expensive than conventional amplifiers, they shut down entirely if the cryocooler fails, and it is hard to quantity just how much they improve a wireless network. HTS filter maker Superconductor Technologies Inc. (STI) has been looking for ways to quantity results for more than one year. Now it thinks it has a compelling argument. A survey of field trials in 12 markets shows that operators achieve broad improvements in network quality and higher data transmission rates. Tests of STI's flagship SuperLink Rx 850 filter showed a 30 percent reduction in dropped calls and a 26 percent decrease in blocked calls (ineffective attempts), two key indicators of network quality. In some networks, minute of use showed a parallel improvement. Minutes rose 25 percent for a three-site sector in one mid-sized southwestern city.
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