6/8/2014 Whats the Big Deal about Small Cells?

- Don - Expert Opinion - LTE University

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Whats the Big Deal about Small Cells?
0 Don 16 Aug 2013 4:45 PM
What, exactly, is a small cell? Does small mean that the hardware fits in a suitcase? Does it mean that the radio
channel has a limited range? Can a small cell only handle a handful of users? As operators look for solutions to
their coverage and capacity challenges, these questions come up a lot.
Fortunately, the Small Cell Forum (www.smallcellforum.org) has the answers. The SCF is an international industry
group comprised of small cell technology providers and mobile operators involved in developing and deploying small
cell solutions. Although the SCF is not a standards body, it works with standards organizations and regulatory
agencies around the world to define common approaches for small cell solutions.
Small Cell Definitions
So what is a small cell to the SCF? Their website defines small cells as follows:
Small cells are low-power wireless access points that operate in licensed spectrum, are operator-managed
and feature edge-based intelligence.
The key points here are:
Low power: Small cells operate at significantly lower power levels than normal base stations. Where a
typical cellular base station might broadcast with 40 Watts of power, a small cell may transmit at only 50
milliWatts, depending on the particular environment.
Licensed spectrum: Small cells use the same spectrum and radio technologies as the mobile wireless
network theyre associated with, allowing a more seamless integration with the macro network and a more
consistent user experience.
Operator managed: Although a small cell may be physically deployed by the end user, it is still considered
to be part of the operators network, so that it can be configured and managed along with the other cells in
the network.
This definition leaves out things like WiFi access points, which use unlicensed spectrum and are usually managed
by the individuals or businesses that bought then.
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By most measures, small cells are indeed small. The units themselves are typically less than 6 cubic feet in volume
(and many are no bigger than a WiFi router) and consume very little power. Their lower output power restricts their
coverage area, while their less powerful processors limit the number of users they can handle at one time.
Even so, there is a spectrum of solutions that fall under this rather broad small cell definition. The SCF further
subdivides small cells into three types:
Femtocells (also called residential femtocells) are the smallest of small cells, providing coverage for a single-
family home with 4 to 6 active users.
Picocells (sometimes called enterprise femtocells) are intended to serve multi-story buildings and campuses,
which each picocell handling up to 32 users.
Microcells are generally used in outdoor environments to provide additional coverage and/or capacity to the
network, each carrying up to 128 users. Urban microcells (as opposed to rural microcells) are often referred
to as metrocells.
Small Cell Benefits
So what can a small cell do that a macro cell cant do? The short answer is: nothing. Small cells can do everything
that big cells can do, except cover a lot of territory and serve a lot of users. The value of a small cell is not its
horsepower, but its economy. If the operator needs to add additional capacity in a particular location, or fill in a
coverage hole, a small cell can often do the job for a fraction of the cost.
This cost advantage comes from a number of factors:
Lower equipment costs: Because they are physically smaller and much more integrated than macrocells,
a small cell may cost hundreds of dollars rather than tens of thousands.
Lower real estate costs: Small cells are often hung on the walls or bolted to lamp posts, eliminating the
need to acquire floor space or build enclosures. Even the larger microcells have a smaller footprint than
traditional macrocells.
Plug and play: Small cells are designed to simplify the deployment effort, allowing the cell to be connected
to the network and configured with little or no manual intervention. Coordination with the rest of the network is
handled by the operators automated management systems, further reducing ongoing operational costs.
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The end result is a suite of economical solutions that the operator can deploy to handle a wide variety of
opportunities, including (but not limited to):
Improving in-home coverage and performance (residential femtocells)
Covering campus and corporate environments (enterprise femtocells and picocells)
Filling in coverage holes, offloading macrocells and adding additional hot spot capacity (urban microcells
and metrocells)
Serving remote areas that would otherwise not have service (rural microcells)
Small and Cheap for the Win
Market studies indicate that small cells (especially those intended for LTE markets) are poised for significant growth
in the coming years, with some sources estimating a 50% growth in deployed units in the next year. With more and
more people using wireless as their primary means of communications and Internet access, operators are searching
for solutions that will allow them to grow their networks and expand their capacity, without growing their costs
commensurately. Small cells offer the right combination of power and price to address those needs.
If youre interested in learning more about small cells, check out the Emerging Trends section at
http://www.awardsolutions.com for information about our small cells curriculum, or the Training Events section
for upcoming public course offerings.