One of the more recent developments in the wireless industry has been the use of

small cells in order to provide coverage and capacity indoors and out. Whether de
ployed as standalone networks or integrated with the macro layer to create heter
ogeneous networks, small cell solutions are touted for their ability to achieve
higher radio density and increased capacity.
The industry has struggled to define exactly what a small cell is, however. Typi
cally the term refers to femtocells, picocells, metrocells or microcells, which
differ in terms of technology and the number of users supported, among other var
iables. But there are a lot of similarities among these solutions, which is why
they are lumped together as small cells.
Another, well-established technology that can also be considered a small cell is
the distributed antenna system (DAS). There are many similarities between small
cells and DAS in terms of power output, coverage areas and size. In fact, DAS i
s often referred to as the original small cell.
But there are also significant differences in terms of how small cells and DAS o
perate. A DAS is a point-to-multipoint solution in which the DAS headend shares
and receives signals with all remote nodes simultaneously within a particular se
ctor. By simulcasting radio channels throughout the building, it creates a singl
e large cell, as opposed to the network of individual cells typical of the vario
us small cell solutions. Centralized power management enables the DAS operator t
o change the coverage and capacity characteristics of each node in order to resp
ond to changes in the RF environment.
As a result, DAS and small cells offer significant differences in terms of funct
ionality, interference issues, capacity, complexity and cost. One of the biggest
differences between DAS and femtocells, picocells and microcells is the ability
to support multiple carriers. DAS systems can be shared by multiple operators,
each connecting their own base stations to the shared RF distribution system. As
a result, DAS allows carriers and venue owners to take advantage of neutral hos
t opportunities in which the capital expenditure can be shared by all participan
ts, making it more affordable.
DAS solutions are also multi-frequency, able to handle 2G, 3G and 4G commercial
frequencies that operate in a range from 700 to 2500 megahertz (MHz), as well as
public safety 700 MHz, 800 MHz, UHF and VHF frequency bands (e.g., 150 and 450
MHz band channels). Femtocells remain exclusively a single-frequency, single-car
rier solution. Multi-frequency picocells are not yet widely available but manufa
cturers expect to ramp up production sometime in 2015.
DAS was designed to scale in order to meet the growing needs of the network. By
adjusting the power to the antennas, a single BTS can serve up to about 1,800 us
ers and provide a coverage radius of several miles. Picocells and femtocells wer
e designed to deliver coverage and capacity over a relatively small area, simila
r to a Wi-Fi access point. Adding more coverage requires installing more nodes.
A DAS network functions by creating a single unified cell with blanket coverage
within its prescribed area. This eliminates multicell interference along with th
e need to hand off from one cell to the next as the user moves about. While pote
ntial exists for interference from nearby macro networks, this is easily managed
by adjusting the power at the DAS headend or the power amplifiers, if they are
in use.
Quality of service within the DAS network, therefore, is excellent. The large ca
pacity of a DAS enables it to be used in tightly packed venues such as sports st
adiums, where 50,000 users or more may be downloading data, posting photos, etc.
The system also provides the ability to dynamically adjust to changes in capaci
ty demands per area and per carrier. Femtocells, picocells and microcells operat

e on a different principle. These small cell solutions create a network of discr

ete cells, each with a fixed and fairly limited capacity and coverage.
For defined rifle shot applications, small cells provide excellent quality of serv
ice. Their short range and ability to detect and adjust to other femtocells in t
he area help to negate multicell interference. This does not mean small cell sol
utions are immune to service issues. When used for larger applications involving
dozens of nodes, the potential for interference increases significantly. The sh
eer number of cells in use and the carrier s inability to control their position a
nd use as well as issues with the handoff between these ad hoc cells and the overa
ll network create significant challenges in spectrum and interference management.
Small cells can also experience interference problems when using low-band spectr
um, and diminished range when using high-band spectrum.
In comparing DAS versus small cell solutions, cost is perhaps the most curious c
haracteristic of all. One argument against DAS has been high costs to deploy wit
h RF engineers. In fact, when deployed for smaller, low-density applications, DA
S may not be the best choice. The reason is simple: DAS is not designed to excel
in these types of scenarios. In order to support a few dozen users and a single
carrier, small cells maybe the better choice for these applications.
As capacity and coverage requirements increase, the cost analysis begins to tip
in favor of DAS. For large deployments, it is much less expensive to deploy a DA
S for in-building coverage than to deploy dozens or hundreds of picocells or fem
tocells. Operating expenses are lower as well in a multi-carrier environment. Th
e challenge for the network operator or owner is determining precisely where tha
t tipping point is. In addition to cost, one must also consider the importance o
f functional needs, interference control, scalability and the other characterist
ics discussed here.
If the wireless industry has learned anything over the past two decades, it s that w
hen it comes to coverage and capacity solutions there is no magic bullet, no one-s
ize-fits-all solution. In selecting the most appropriate solution for a given ap
plication, it is important that network operators, mobile carriers and facility
owners put aside any preconceptions. The best solution which, in some cases, may a
ctually call for both DAS and small cell will be dictated by the details of the pr
oject and objectives of the stakeholders