5GWorld is part of the larger TechXLR8 conference and exhibition, held in London’s Excel Centre this year. The show has evolved considerably since it was LTE World, expanding the scope to include AR/VR, Connected Cars, Tech startups and AI. It aims to hit all the hot buttons for the tech savvy and attract a wide audience. Exhibition attendance is free, with premium tickets for the major conference sessions.
From time to time we survey the range of vendors and products available for an area of small cell technology. With CBRS/OnGo and later MulteFire about to unleash the potential of Private LTE networks, we look at the EPC vendors who could provide the core network software to support such independent/standalone LTE deployments.
Recent market statistics show a significant upturn of in-building digital cellular solutions. The simplicity, flexibility and ease of installation are all much better than legacy choices. Costs are further reduced when the signal source is integrated within the digital solution, allowing this approach to provide the best business case and platform for future growth.
The lifecycle of this annual event has seen many changes over the past 10 years or so since inception. Femtocells have been renamed Small Cells, the scope has expanded, 5G has become a hot topic. Many small cell start-ups have come and gone, we’ve shifted focus from technology to deployment and business case, and the larger RAN vendors and tower companies are much more visible.
The dust has settled after the UK’s latest round of spectrum auctions, so perhaps it’s time to step back and ask whether the outcome is good for end customers, for existing operators, for competition and ultimately the long term economy. Was it a quick short-term fix or a long term masterplan?
In several regions of the world, network operators seem to be so set against sharing infrastructure that they’ll actively install duplicate/parallel systems to serve their own customers. Elsewhere, a focus on cost encourages wider co-operation. What is the right answer to best improve the end customer experience?
Both Verizon and Samsung have been emphasising significantly better than expected performance from extensive trials using early 5G millimetre-wave radios. I spoke with Derek Johnston, Head of Marketing with Samsung Network Division in North America, to uncover more detail of the trials and the likely path to commercial deployment. I’ve summarised my findings below.
Joe Neil, Director of Solution Architecture at Microsemi, travels the world working with mobile operators of all shapes and sizes. His role is primarily focussed on their network architecture and specifically the design for timing and synchronisation. With networks currently deploying LTE Advanced Pro and looking ahead towards 5G, he shares his insights on how and where tighter timing constraints will be met.
I’ve noticed more frequently these days issues with voice calls to some mobile phones. The other party quickly points out that they are using Wi-Fi Calling because of poor indoor coverage and that this is the best they can do. While it works for some, clearly it’s far from a perfect solution. Are there any other options?
A significant number of users continue to report poor mobile coverage in their homes. There will always be areas which are uneconomic for mobile operator to reach. They range from rural areas
...
The term Enterprise addresses any non-residential in-building including hotels, convention centres, transport hubs, offices, hospitals and retail outlets. It's not just intended for businesses to
...
Urban small cells (sometimes also named metrocells) are compact and discrete mobile phone basestations, unobstrusively located in urban areas. They can be mounted on lampposts, positioned on the
...
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
...
