5G coverage and capacity means new infrastructure
With early use cases taking shape as carriers begin trials, RCR Wireless News caught up with IBB Consulting Partner Hillol Roy to get his insight into the likely phased commercialization of “5G” mobile networks.
Roy was on hand in Dallas for the Wireless Infrastructure Association – formerly PCIA – annual Wireless Infrastructure Show.
“When you look at 5G, it means different things to different people,” Roy said. “We are talking about ultra mobile broadband; we are talking about a network which is highly flexible; we are talking about highly reliable communication; we are talking about extremely low latency. When you look at it, trying to fit everything into one piece of network, it’s pretty daunting.”
“The first thing that comes to mind is mobile broadband,” roy continued. “How do you increase the speed? Of course, one part is to improve the spectral efficiency.” He said that means infrastructure upgrades, including improving [multiple-input/multiple-output] by adding antenna elements.
“The second part, when we focus on the reliability part, which means we have to eliminate the coverage gaps, which means more cell sites. Not necessarily more macro towers … but definitely at least small cells or small macros, which means new site acquisition, new backhaul, new ways of interconnecting those sites.”
For more commentary from Roy, including a look at ongoing small cell deployments and the implication for 5G, watch the above video interview.
