Telecom Industry Use Street Furniture To Deploy 5G "Small Cells"

"Small Cells" Bring Network Closer To Users To Hasten Rollout Of 5G

Telecom companies in the nation will use street furniture including poles, billboards, and bus shelters for the deployment of low power base stations known as "Small Cells" that will assist bring the network closer to the users in order to hasten the rollout of 5G. Mobile network providers assure their customers that 5G will offer greater connectivity, quicker speeds, higher energy efficiency, and lower RAN (Radio Access Network) latency. These trade off with rising demands for mobile data traffic, nevertheless.

Coverage Range of Small Cells                                                           

The coverage range of small cells, which are low-powered radio access nodes or base stations, ranges from a few metres to a few hundred metres. They help provide localised coverage and are portable and simple to deploy. According to the TRAI report, small cells are put in great numbers—even more than 200 per sq. km—to ensure adequate geographic coverage and the delivery of extremely dependable and high-capacity broadband. Small cells provide coverage for very short distances. 

Deployment of 5G Small Cells

Global 5G mobile data traffic will exceed 1676 Exabytes in 2026, a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 63%, predicts global technology intelligence firm ABI Research. Mobile network providers are required to enhance their network capacity due to the rapidly expanding data traffic. The most feasible strategy, albeit one that comes at a significant expense, is the dense deployment of 5G small cells because there aren't many new macro cell locations or 5G spectrums available. Massive MIMO (mMIMO) macro cells have currently met the demands for 5G capacity, but these may not be sufficient, making small cells more crucial. 13 million outdoor 5G small cell deployments are expected by 2027. By 2028, 5G small cell deployments will surpass those of 4G.

Infrastructure Need 

The amount of data that people consume will rise with 5G. New user applications would also be possible with faster speeds and less latency, ensuring an increase in the average data consumption for all users. Telecom operators will need to make substantial infrastructure investments if they want to meet the demand for 5G data. Small cells are a crucial component of the infrastructure needed to support the development of 5G. Because 4G networks can succeed with macrosites, these microsites haven't been used as frequently. But when higher spectrum frequencies are involved, telcos need the assistance of tiny cells to guarantee that users receive adequate coverage.

According to Research

By 2027, there will be 13 million outdoor 5G small cell deployments, according to research from ABI Research. The telcos will strive for the installation of tiny cells globally for both mmWave and mid-band 5G networks. India has already begun testing the use of street furniture for the deployment of 5G tiny cells. It would guarantee that customers can experience 5G seamlessly. The ability of 5G tiny cells to coexist with large cells is fantastic. Both can enhance one another and provide more network coverage.

Project Launched by TRAI

In order to assess the viability of using street furniture for the deployment of 5G small cells, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) launched a project in various regions of India. TRAI received assistance with the tests from Vodafone Idea and other Indian telecoms. 5G tiny cells will be used in locations including smart cities, ports, and metro stations. Telcos would need small cells deployed, especially for mmWave 5G, to make sure that signals aren't impacted by other factors in the area. Even businesses would require the installation of tiny cells on their property for captive private networks.

TRAI’s Reports

According to TRAI, the majority of nations are currently researching and implementing small cell design for 5G rollouts. By 2027, 1.56 million private 5G Small Cells are anticipated to be installed globally. The Department of Telecom announced the revised Right of Way (RoW) Rules last week, clearing the way for the installation of 5G Small Cells on the country's existing street infrastructure. The department anticipates that 5G services will be available nationwide by October 2022 as a result of these reforms. The changes include a rationalisation of fees, the implementation of a single window clearance system, and the elimination of the requirement to obtain permission from a government agency before erecting infrastructure over private property. According to the modified laws, telecom licence holders can reach agreements with owners of private land and won't need approval from any government agencies to erect telecom infrastructure like towers, poles, or optical fibre. The Central government may not levy an administrative fee for the installation of poles on property that it owns or controls. This cost will not exceed $1,000 per pole for States/UTs. Overground optical fibre installation costs are restricted at $1000 per km.

Design and Performance of Small Cells

The design and performance of 5G tiny cells are more complicated than those of the preceding generation. Smaller and lighter 5G small cells must enable higher bandwidths like 100 MHz and 200 MHz. Because there are more possible deployment scenarios with 5G, providers are compelled to offer all-encompassing solutions to meet every need. Mobile network providers in the majority of nations are concentrating on 5G macro cell deployment in the consumer market. The actual rate of data traffic growth determines when and how severe the network capacity constraint will be.