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The Wireless Network in 2015Wireless network operators are underincreasing pressure to provide more capacity,coverage and quality without increasingprices to end users. The key to success in2015 is efficiency. Operators will modernizetheir networks and continue to upgrade toLTE while discussing more efficient futurearchitectures. They will further increasecapacity in their networks through cellsplitting, the creation of a metro layer and acontinued focus on deploying the indoorcoverage layer. Where there is quality,there is capacity. Here’s a summary of the

key trends and big issues I see operatorsfacing in 2015:

1. Network modernization continuesto be critical

LTE is the latest evolution of commercial cellular systemsand boasts the greatest spectral efficiency yet. Efficiencyimprovements, however, are not limited to spectrum, but alsoto the entire wireless ecosystem. To serve customers withmore data for the same price, each and every aspect of

the infrastructure will be evaluated, negotiated,

calculated and optimized. This includes thecore network, remote towers and the radio

access network (RAN). It also includes powerconsumption, call site space utilization and siteacquisition timeframes. When operators modernize

their networks, they look to do so across allaspects of their ecosystem.

2. Cloud architectures will be debatedand discussed

In the pursuit of efficiency, there are both near- and far-termdimensions. One of the biggest long-term benefits may comefrom Cloud RAN (C-RAN), also known as Network Functions

Virtualization (NFV). C-RAN is an architecture that startswith applications and data being hosted in data centers ontraditional, standard IT equipment. Some of this architecturemay exist in mega data centers and some may be locatedcloser to the user for latency reasons.

Efficiency comes from the utilization of off-the-shelf, standardized hardware and softwarevirtualization. Depending on how farvirtualization is pushed into the network, someif not all of the call processing can be movedaway from today’s special purpose-made

hardware. As it dives further into the RANout toward the tower, subsuming the current

eNode-B, this change in equipment will drive fewerproducts at the bottom of the tower and more integration at thetop, creating gains in space and power efficiency.

3. Spectral reuse still mattersImproving spectrum usage is not limited to changes in standards(e.g., the evolution to LTE). Efficiently improving spectrum usageis also vital to a successful long-term network. Capacity ona cellular network comes from the reuse of spectrum, not justits efficient use. Spectrum is reused through sector splitting or

adding more cell sites. A sector split has long been consideredthe most cost-effective way to add capacity. Initialcellular systems were all omni-sector, but when

capacity was needed, many split into 3-sectorsites. Sites that require additional capacity in 3Gand 4G networks are now being split into six sectors.High- density, special-purpose solutions can includeantennas with up to 27 beams (or sectors) at a single

site.

By Morgan Kurk, Senior Vice President, Wireless Division, CommScope

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4. The metro layer matters moreThe creation of a metro layer is another way to add capacity

that is gaining in popularity. These are new cells that are placedlower to the ground—not for initial coverage, butto add more capacity to the system. Metro

cells require new site acquisition, backhaul andpower and are more expensive on a per-user-served

basis. For efficiency’s sake, it is critical to makemounting cellular infrastructure easier and more cost-

effective. Utilizing existing street poles andfurniture can significantly help in addressing

metro layer deployment challenges.

5. Indoor wireless is increasingly important 

There is also indoor coverage to consider. This new layer ofcoverage adds massive capacity very close to the user and isunder an enormous change in both architecture and efficiency.Consider that not too long ago, indoor distributed antennasystems (DAS) were used simply to provide coverage. But with

80 percent of all traffic on cellular systemsoccurring indoors, DAS have now become

capacity enhancement vehicles. As youmove to smaller and smaller cell radiuses, you gain in capacity and in quantity. NewDAS systems automate much of what wasdone by skilled technicians in the past, new

interfaces conserve energy and costs, andnew methodologies enable maintenance andoperations by a much larger group of people.

6. Quality is the key to capacity Simplification helps enhance network quality. As architectures

evolved through the various generations, they have consistentlybeen simplified. The same theme that was applied to the coreis now being applied to the RAN portion of the network. Fromthe use of multi-band, multi-technology antennas and remote

radio units to innovations in connectivity, theRAN is being improved and optimized forcapacity. Simplifying the RAN extends toimproving deployment, where innovationsin equipment have led to easier and higherquality installations that, in turn, lead toincreases in capacity.

At the middle of this decade, 2015 marks the

general acceptance milestone for 4G LTE, meaning the pointin the technology evolution when LTE handsets and networkshave become stable, generally available and cost-effective.Although not all network operators have implemented LTE, mosthave plans in place or have already begun construction. Likeprevious years, 2015 will continue to be marked by acceleratingincreases in data usage. Unlike the past, it will likely occurwithout rising end-user prices, promising increased scrutiny onnetwork efficiency.

With more than 20 years in thewireless industry, Morgan Kurk isresponsible for guiding the strategicdevelopment of wireless infrastructuresolutions at CommScope. Thisincludes towers, distributedantennas, coaxial and fiber cabling,filters, amplifiers, repeaters and

microwave dishes. He holds a BSEEfrom Brown University, an MSEEfrom the University of Michigan andan MBA from the Kellogg Schoolof Management at NorthwesternUniversity.

www.commscope.com

Visit our website or contact your local CommScope representative for more information.

© 2014 CommScope, Inc. All rights reserved.

All trademarks identified by ® or ™ are registered trademarks or trademarks, respectively, of CommScope, Inc.This document is for planning purposes only and is not intended to modify or supplement any specifications or warranties relating to CommScope products or services.

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