Skip to main content

Why Barriers to Small Cell Sites Must be Removed

Infonetics Research released excerpts of the findings from its latest global market study of mobile broadband service providers, which provides insights into network operator's current and future plans for outdoor small cells and backhaul.

"The challenge is on for small cell operators. They've been scrambling to test and trial a large number of technologies, products, and topologies for outdoor small cells, and they're under growing pressure to make the rubber meet the road -- not only from their technology and operations people, but even their business planners," said Michael Howard, co-founder and principal analyst for carrier networks at Infonetics Research.

But, according to the current Infonetics' assessment, it won't be easy.

These operators face some daunting challenges: outdoor small cell gear isn't small enough or cheap enough yet, and there are problems backhauling in dense urban areas -- includiing municipal regulations regarding the look, size, and color of the equipment and who can mount equipment on streetlights, utility poles and building sides.


Even if they managed to solve all these issues, they're still going to have to pass the fiscal financial test. The much-needed outdoor small cell deployment won't fly without a viable business model.

That being said, national, regional and local government leaders must be proactive and do everything possible to remove the anticipated barriers to accelerated wireless broadband deployment.

Furthermore, property owners and building landlords must do their part to ease the burden on mobile network service providers who plan to deploy additional broadband infrastructure in their area.

Broadband deployment is a socioeconomic catalyst for change which offers a competitive advantage. As demand increased, gaining access to this important infrastructure will require forwarding thinking leadership and public/private partnerships. Savvy community leaders will remove known barriers to progress -- clearly, it's in their own best interests.

Small cell and LTE backhaul market study highlights include:
  • 86 percent of operators surveyed plan to backhaul small cell traffic to nearby macrocell sites via a variety of locations, including buildings, streetlights, and traffic and utility poles.
  • Fiber is the preferred backhaul technology among respondent operators when available and cost effective, but the various forms of microwave-non-line-of-sight (NLOS), standard microwave, and millimeter wave-will be deployed most often.
  • When it comes to cost of ownership, a majority of respondents require the 5-year TCO of a small cell deployment to be within 10 percent of a typical macrocell deployment.
  • By 2016, those surveyed expect in-building and outdoor small cells (microcells, picocells, and public access femtocells) to handle around 1/4 of mobile traffic.

Popular posts from this blog

Industrial and Manufacturing Technology Growth

In an evolving era of rapid advancement, market demand for innovative technology in the industrial and manufacturing sectors is skyrocketing. Leaders are recognizing the immense potential of digital transformation and are driving initiatives to integrate technologies into their business operations.  These initiatives aim to enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and ultimately drive growth and competitiveness in an increasingly digital business upward trajectory. The industrial and manufacturing sectors have been the backbone of the Global Networked Economy, contributing $16 trillion in value in 2021. Industrial and Manufacturing Tech Market Development   This growth represents a 20 percent increase from 2020, highlighting the resilience and adaptability of these sectors in the face of unprecedented challenges, according to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research . The five largest manufacturing verticals -- automotive, computer and electronic, primary metal, food, and machinery -

Rise of AI-Enabled Smart Traffic Management

The demand for smart traffic management systems has grown due to rising urban populations and increasing vehicle ownership. With more people and cars concentrated in cities, problems like traffic congestion, air pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions are pressing issues. Since the early 2000s, government leaders have been exploring ways to leverage advances in IoT connectivity, sensors, artificial intelligence (AI), and data analytics to address these transportation challenges. The concept of a Smart City emerged in the 2010s, with smart mobility and intelligent traffic management as key components.  Smart Traffic Management Market Development Concerns about continued climate change, as well as cost savings from improved traffic flow, have further motivated local government investment in these advanced systems. According to the latest worldwide market study by Juniper Research, they found that by 2028, smart traffic management investment will be up by 75 percent from a 2023 figure of

AI Software Market will Reach $251 Billion

The growth in Artificial Intelligence (AI) software could lead to many benefits. As more organizations adopt AI, they may become more efficient, productive, and able to offer improved products and services. The global job market could also expand, with demand growing for roles like AI engineers and technicians. Plus, AI apps could enable breakthroughs in fields like healthcare, transportation, and energy. The worldwide AI software market will grow from $64 billion in 2022 to nearly $251 billion in 2027 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 31.4 percent, according to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). AI Software Market Development The forecast for AI-centric software includes Artificial Intelligence Platforms, AI Applications, AI System Infrastructure Software (SIS), and AI Application Development and Deployment (AD&D) software (excluding AI platforms). However, it does not include Generative AI (GenAI) platforms and applications, which IDC recent