Hot Topics in LTE Small Cells Trevor Reynolds – Consulting Engineer October 2013
Small Cells for Urban Connected Communities? · Trevor Gill Small Cells - A Long Time Coming? Like...
Transcript of Small Cells for Urban Connected Communities? · Trevor Gill Small Cells - A Long Time Coming? Like...
Trevor Gill
About me…
• Career spent in R&D in Vodafone
• Retired as Chief Scientist in 2013
• Now an independent consultant
• Currently working part-time in DCMS 5G Trials and test-beds team
Trevor Gill
Small Cells - A Long Time Coming?
Like the end of oil and nuclear fusion – always 30 years away?
Widespread outdoor small cells – always 5 years away?
Trevor Gill
Peak small cell – c 1995?
• GSM 900 only
• Traffic growing fast
• Vodafone installed small antennas at 250m intervals in central London. Suitcase sized BTS in basement
Trevor Gill
What happened since?
• Macro-cell life extended (over and over again) by:
– New generations, each with greater spectrum efficiency
– Each generation brought more spectrum
– Conservative operators stick with what they know
– Barriers to small cells
• Will 5G be different ?
Trevor Gill
Though NOT faster to build
• 2 ½ years from first planning application to live service
• Local councilors and MP engaged by objectors
My local cell
Trevor Gill
Barriers to small cells
• Planning
• Backhaul
• Streetworks
• Visual acceptability
• Cost
• . . . . . . .
Much more about this later…
Trevor Gill
Chicken and egg problem
Too expensive to deploy, so little demand for products.
Little demand, so no incentive to develop cheap high volume product.
Available products are visually unattractive and cumbersome
No common view on suitable form-factor for mass deployment
Trevor Gill
What about indoors?
• Many more products• More innovative
solutions• More challenging if
multi-operator coverage desired
• Suitable models for infrastructure ( and spectrum ?) sharing ?
• What about 5G?
Trevor Gill
DCMS 5G Trials and Testbeds Programme
● Accelerate the deployment of 5G networks
● Ensure that the UK can take early advantage
of the applications those networks can enable
● Maximise the productivity and efficiency
benefits to the UK from 5G
● Create new opportunities for UK businesses at
home and abroad, and encourage inward
investment
“UK to be a world leader in 5G so that we can take early advantage of its potential”
Trevor Gill
Urban Connected Communities
• Large scale urban project• Local authority (population > 500k) to host trial to be
chosen in July.• Substantial funding for infrastructure and trials, to be
sustainable after the trial• c 2 years programme to March 2021• How should infrastructure be built?• Are there good (new) models for shared infrastructure?• Can we help to crack the chicken and egg problem?
(Rural project to follow shortly)