Antenna Systems & Technology - Spring 2016 - (Page 24)

GUEST COLUMN Major Trends for Outdoor Cell Sites By Ben Cardwell, Senior Vice President, Wireless | CommScope The wireless network industry is in the middle of the 4G technology cycle with the biggest LTE coverage build-outs largely done. Network operators are now in the phase of adding capacity to those networks. The industry is also starting the evolution to virtualized wireless networks. The 5G vision is fuzzy, but there are three primary trends in the outdoor radio access network (RAN) market: densification, virtualization and optimization. The recent Ericsson Mobility Report predicts that total mobile data traffic per month will increase at a compounded annual growth rate of 45 percent from 2015 to 2021. Adding capacity to their networks to meet this demand is critical for operators. Many expect small cell deployments to be the leading network densification tool. However, operators continue to face some serious challenges when deploying small cells outdoors, especially in terms of site acquisition, power and backhaul. The cost factors can be prohibitive considering the number of users that can be served by small cells. I expect more macro network solutions to be deployed in 2016 than small cells. A leading way to add capacity in the macro network is via sector splitting for hot sectors. If a one-beam antenna is currently deployed for a sector, upgrade to a two-beam antenna to create two sectors where there once was one. Taking a three sector site and turning it into six sectors basically doubles the capacity. Sector splitting is generally more cost-effective and one of the better investments an operator can make. Virtualization The long-term goal of many network operators is to evolve to the Cloud RAN (C-RAN) architecture. C-RAN moves the baseband unit into the core network while keeping remote radio units at the cell sites. A C-RAN network that is completely run in the cloud will have equipment placed centrally with digital-to-RF converters located at the edge. To accomplish this, you need fiber links with very low latency and very high capacity from every cell site to the BBU. C-RAN will improve network performance with capacity that can be optimized dynamically. We are already seeing the benefits of C-RAN inside buildings where centralized capacity can be adjusted dynamically to meet actual usage. For example, when employees gather in a large meeting space, C-RAN architecture enables capacity to be re-allocated automatically to these areas. The outdoor macro network is the next frontier for C-RAN, and some operators are already making significant progress there. I expect to see more macro cell sites with baseband processing moved into centralized locations this year. The challenges of site acquisition, power and backhaul apply to these centralized sites, too, however. Optimization Network operators need to get as much capacity out of their existing networks as possible. Optimizing the RAN means having the best signal-to-noise ratio possible. You want the desired signals to be really loud and everything else to be really quiet. 24 Antenna Systems & Technology Spring 2016 www.AntennasOnline.com http://www.AntennasOnline.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Antenna Systems & Technology - Spring 2016

Contents
Editor’s Choice
Progress Comes in All Shapes and Sizes: A Practical Guide to Selecting and Deploying Antennas in Wireless Towers
Antennas
Components/Subsystems
Short-Range Wireless
Software / System Design
Test & Measurement
Industry News
Marketplace
Major Trends for Outdoor Cell Sites

Antenna Systems & Technology - Spring 2016