There are several distinct scenarios for bringing cellular service to rural and remote areas. Locations may be completely isolated or just on the edge of macrocell coverage, using a variety of options for backhaul. We’ve simplified these into three distinct categories discussed below.

A new book just published provides a simple introduction on how to build your own GSM small cell, using freely available open source hardware and software. Aimed primarily for use in the lab or in remote/unserved rural communities, a simple GSM site can deliver voice, text and data services using standard handsets. We review the current state of open source projects and look at what's available today.

Satellites have transformed communication in remote parts of the world. Truly remote locations, islands, ships and even aircraft are connected from anywhere on the globe running voice, video and data applications.

In the world of cellular communications, satellite has played an important role enabling mobile operators to backhaul traffic providing connectivity where other technologies can't reach. Up to now, the high cost of satellite bandwidth has largely restricted the use of satellite technology to provide backhaul for basic voice service, but recent developments in small cell infrastructure and satellite technology are making 3G and 4G data services over satellite commercially viable.

Many remote and rural communities don't enjoy good cellular coverage today, both in developed and developing countries. Small cells have offered a simple solution to this problem but had relatively little take-up until recently. We track some of the recent developments in this field.

At this year's CW Future of Wireless conference, Simon Saunders of Real Wireless characterised the cost of servicing remote and rural areas. This is quite topical, since the Small Cell Forum is currently developing its next release on that subject. It seems that people who live in rural regions aren't quite as anti-social or equally dispersed as we city-dwellers might think. They often live in groups within villages or hamlets, providing adequate return on investment for a low cost deployment. This favours infill using pockets of coverage rather than increasing capacity through a heavy-duty macrocell approach.

A rural small cell is a low power mobile phone base station designed to bring mobile phone service to small pockets of population in remote rural areas. These could be hamlets, small villages or industrial sites.

Unlike large cell towers which can transmit many tens of kilometers, the low power of rural small cells allows them to operate without a diesel generator or mains electricity. Solar and wind power, combined with batteries, can sustain these units indefinitely. The lower cost of satellite transmission makes off-grid small cells commercial viable, even in developing countries.