We

thank these companies for sponsoring this report and webinar:

In collaboraAon with

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New report on densicaAon and RAN evoluAon

Report includes
Analyst paper on RAN evolu6on towards massively densied
networks: drivers, technologies, market requirements
In-depth video/transcribed interviews with report sponsors,
operators and enterprises

The report will be published on September 28, available

on RCR Wireless News and Senza Fili website and sent to
webinar par6cipants
Interviews are being published ahead of the report
publica6on

Transcript and videos are both available

Todays webinar is a preview of the report and interviews

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Todays webinar
Report overview, Monica Paolini, Senza
Fili
The fan experience at the Carolina
Panthers stadium, Kevin Schmonsees,
Beam Wireless
Preview of report interviews

Q&A

Please get your quesAons in during the presentaAon

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The evoluAon towards a new RAN typology

DensicaAon requires a conAnuum of soluAons,

all the way from macro cells to small/femto cells
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DensicaAon is nothing new.

But massive densicaAon creates a new type of wireless network
Densica6on is more than small cells, DAS, or C-RAN

Demand

Mul6ple layers
Interdependency among RAN elements
Coordina6on
Densica6on

Types of spectrum
Drivers to densica6on

5G
Pervasive
networks

More than trac load

Reliance of wireless as default
Reliability and coverage
New usage models

IoT

Virtualiza6on

Pervasive networks emerge as a way to address demand,

enabled by new technology
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EvoluAon from an atomic to a pervasive network: trends

Atomic networks

Pervasive networks

Discrete RAN elements (BTS, cells)

Antennas and baseband separate: no-more-cells,

phantom-cell approach

Single layer

Mul6ple layers

Capacity denes network performance

Dynamic capacity levels dependent on trac

management, latency equally important to QoE

Hardware-based func6onality

Virtualized func6ons, loca6on

Network elements 6ed to a loca6on

Loca6on as a strategic choice

(centralized versus distributed approaches)

Tight separa6on of core and RAN

Merging of core and RAN func6onality, MEC

User planer and control plane on the same link

Separa6on of user plane and control plane

Network KPIs

QoE, 6ed to network KPIs

Capacity per network element

Capacity density (per sqkm)

In pervasive networks, capacity is no longer the only (or main) currency.

Resource uAlizaAon and opAmizaAon are key and dynamic
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Beyond cells

China Mobile, Chih-Lin:

No-more-cells user-centric model

DOCOMO:
Phantom cells

Source: China Mobile

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Source: DOCOMO

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EvoluAon from an atomic to a pervasive network: beyond technology

Atomic networks

Pervasive networks

Network-centric: subscriber adapts to the network

User-centric: network adapts to subscriber demand

Capacity determines service availability

Applica6ons, trac type, policy determine use of

capacity

RAN elements on telecom assets

Non-telecom assets: indoor, street furniture, trains

Operator-controlled networks

Enterprise, residen6al users, neutral hosts, integrators

acquire larger role

Operator-owned networks

New ownership models

Hard-dened links from network to devices

Flexible connec6vity: dual connec6vity, non-SIM

devices, Wi-Fi ooad, device-to-device

Pervasive networks get closer to subscribers and to devices,

and become embedded in the environment and in the devices
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How will densicaAon happen?

(Will it happen?)
The big ques6on:
Indoor /
Outdoor

Drivers:
Coverage /
Capacity

Architecture:
Small cells /
DAS

Network:
Edge /
Centralized

Backhaul:
Fiber /
Wireless

Func6onal split:
Xhaul /
Fronthaul

Technology:
Cellular /
Wi-Fi

Spectrum:
Sub-6 GHz /
Millimeter Wave

Unlicensed
spectrum:
LTE /
Wi-Fi

Interference:
Co-channel /
Separate channel

Performance:
Capacity /
Latency

Access point
density:
High / Low

Control:
Operator /
Third-party

Business model:
Single operator /
Shared deployment

The report discusses these splits in detail

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The role of operators in a pervasive network

Wireless networks are more complex
To plan and deploy
To test, monitor, op6mize
To manage trac, services, elements
To meet user expecta6ons and device
requirements
No single pipe to the user
Mul6ple, interac6ng paths to reach subscribers/IoT
devices
Mobile operators have to op6mize network
performance along two main dimensions:
Resource u6liza6on, for TCO eciency
QoE, for revenue genera6on

OperaAng a mobile network is more like direcAng an orchestra

than running a uAlity
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ImplicaAons: evolving concepts as we move to pervasive networks

Cell, antenna
RAN, core
Loca6on
Capacity, capacity density
Throughput, latency
Tes6ng, monitoring
Historical KPIs, real-6me op6miza6on
Wireless, wireline
Backhaul, fronthaul
Wireless, mobile
Devices, networks
QoE
TCO
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Massively densied networks

Why we need them and how we can build them

Preview of interviews

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Anritsu: Tom Elliog, Product Manager

Managing interference in densied networks
When you move to a DAS system, especially a neutral-host DAS
system, where you need to test three or four frequency bands on
every cable, those tests mul6ply, and they mul6ply drama6cally, Tom
told us.
A medium-sized DAS install could have several thousand tests.
Something like a football stadium, the US Bank Stadium in
Minneapolis, for instance, may have as many as 15,000 tests. Its the
sheer scale that becomes a problem. Youre talking about months,
man-months, spent dealing with these tests. In DAS tes6ng,
automa6on is a benet and a necessity. According to Tom, it can cut
tes6ng 6mes by 90%.
In small-cell deployments, Tom said therere going to be interference
sources that will bother a small cell that a macro cell would never see.
Interference becomes a bigger problem. Of course, the small-cell
recep6on area is smaller. But there are other interference sources that
will maker to the small cell that a macro tower wont see. Eciency in
nding interference becomes very important.

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Ascom: Todd Cogs, Product MarkeAng Manager

TesAng and monitoring in densied networks
Tes6ng and monitoring in densied networks has to evolve to enable
operators to understand network performance and to iden6fy
performance issues in networks that are more advanced but also more
complex. We talked about how tes6ng and monitoring are changing,
and how they can assist operators in planning their networks with
Todd Coks at Ascom Network Tes6ng.
Todd us what are common ques6ons he gets from operators and that
Ascom addresses: Is it the right place -- is it the right 6me for the
solu6on? Do I need a small cell, or do I need a DAS system? Do I need
DAS, or do I need Wi-Fi, or do I need both? Where should I place them
to make sure that my network is going to perform to the target
expecta6ons that I planned it to perform and meet those QoE
expecta6ons?
Some of the solu6ons will be hybrid scenarios, where carrier Wi-Fi
and enterprise Wi-Fi play nicely in the same sandbox. We have to
certainly include that within not only how we test, but also how we
design a network. Thats one of the future things, Todd added.

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CommScope: Ben Cardwell, Senior Vice President and Segment Leader

Building the foundaAons for densicaAon
In the past [operators] have focused mostly on public-access venues
big, big venues where lots of people go. Those have been done. Those
are big buildings, big systems. Going forward, we will need to move
into those second- and third-6er buildings that are more in the
200,000 to 500,000 sq o size. These new systems will need to be much
lower cost and be deployable by a dierent type of professional.
To address this market, CommScope has developed OneCell a cloud-
RAN approach to in-building, giving maximum capacity u6liza6on in a
building.
In outdoor loca6ons, concealment becomes very important in outdoor
small-cell deployments, where the equipment is in plain sight.
Site acquisi6on is the number one challenge. Its all about
concealment and not crea6ng an eyesore for the public. We are
crea6ng cabinets and concealment solu6ons that enclose small cells,
antennas and all the infrastructure required for a small cell. Small cells
may be placed either inside a pole, under a park bench, in something
that may look like a vending machine something where its really
disguised from the public.

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InterDigital: Alpaslan Demir, Principal Engineer

DensicaAon in millimeter-wave bands
In millimeter wave deployments, densica6on is not an op6on, but a
necessity because of the limited coverage radius, as well as the
opportunity to provide a vast capacity increase in the backhaul or in
the access.
The beauty of these frequencies is that the new bandwidth they
make available is tremendously large. You are talking about Mbps or
mul6ples of-100 Mbps bandwidths, with up to 2 GHz bandwidths, or
mul6ples of 2 GHz, especially at 70 GHz. This gives you the ability to
increase densica6on. The more bandwidth you have, the more data
you can transmit. When it comes to the millimeter-wave domain, one
thing we need to understand is that, due to the propaga6on loss, you
need to deploy nodes very closely. Maybe youre talking about spacing
nodes at 50 m to 100 m to 200 m. This automa6cally creates
densica6on.
This makes the expansion into mmW bands a priority for operators:
There is no escape from crea6ng solu6ons for millimeter-wave or
high-frequency bands. The overall industry is pushing for that. We
denitely see some operators taking advantage of that, as well.
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Kathrein: Jim DeKoekkoek, Product Line Manager, Antennas and Small Cells
Making densicaAon equipment go unnoAced
At Kathrein, densica6on is pushing towards new antenna
congura6ons, form factors, and loca6ons and more generally to
deploy equipment that blends in the environment or cannot be seen.
In our conversa6on with Jim DeKoekkoek, Product Line Manager,
Antennas and Small Cells, we talked about Street Connect, a solu6on
that takes small cells below ground, protected by specially designed
manholes.
In terms of new products, we are coming out with a series of
antennas that I would liken to Lego blocks. Theyre antennas that are
designed to be mounted in hidden places. Places like behind, say, an
adver6sing sign in an airport or some public space.
You can congure them by combining them. If an operator needs
more gain, or more direc6onality, a combina6on of two, or three, or
four of them can be easily be placed together, or back to back. Lots of
good applica6ons, so were really having fun with the small cells.

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Rohde & Schwarz: Jeremy Cline, North America Product Manager,

and Rob Wagenburg, North America SwissQual Business Director
TesAng a densied network
Jeremy told us: There absolutely is a shio in tes6ng QoE. Thats
actually one of our top priori6es. Weve known for a while that KPIs
only tell a part of the story.
Whens the last 6me you went to a ball game at a stadium venue, for
example, and you were worried about Whats my RSRP look like?
Maybe some of us RF engineers do, but the layperson is more worried
about subjec6ve things like audio quality and video quality. They want
to know Is my YouTube video that I want to download coming
through? And if it does, is it coming through in an acceptable manner,
where theres not a lot of blurring and things like that?
Ease of use is denitely at the top of the list from a tes6ng equipment
perspec6ve. Thats something were focusing on, and its going to be
absolutely cri6cal to have, especially if the network gets more
complex.
We will also see a need for automa6on and remote monitoring, as
well. You look at, again, this number of small cells that are going to be
deployed in the network. They already are, and its just going to grow
exponen6ally through 2020 and beyond, Rob added.

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Freerider III portable benchmarking soluAon from

Rohde & Schwarz
Source: Rohde &Schwarz

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Samsung: Nivi Thadasina, Senior Director of 5G and 4G Engineering

DensicaAon from the chipset to small cells
In 2007 the need was coverage. In-building was the challenge. The
signal was not penetra6ng where it needed to. The immediate need
from our customers was Hey. Can we get coverage in areas where its
very hard to reach through micro cells? Coverage was the ini6al need.
That eventually led to Now that we got the coverage, can we also
look at capacity ooad?
Especially for users who are on the cell edge of the macro network
they are the ones who consume the most power and resources, from a
macro standpoint. Our customers were looking at OK. Can we use this
product, this tool, to see whether we can also do a capacity ooad?
That was all part of the 3G.
Indoor coverage and capacity benet both the subscriber and the
carrier. With indoor infrastructure, well get a beker user experience.
Not only can you get a beker user experience, but with it, operators
are geung an improvement in spectral eciency. In the outer network
macro cells, Im able to squeeze more bits per hertz, now that I am
able to take those tough users who are on the cell edge, and can oer
them coverage with the small cells, added Nivi.
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SOLiD: Ken Sandfeld, President of SOLiD America

DensicaAon in the middleprise
Most of large venues have indoor infrastructure. The challenge now is
to reach the medium-sized venue the middleprise. We talked to Ken
Sandfeld, President of SOLiD America, about what technology and
business models can address this challenge.
At SOLiD, we believe that DAS and small cells will become one hybrid,
simplied solu6on. We might call it a hybrid DAS solu6on. It is going to
be a new term and a new combined solu6on. These solu6ons will be
deployed by third-party owners, neutral hosts as well, as they work
with people who own buildings, that dont want to own, manage or
deal with these systems.
It does start changing the business model for the operators. The
operators dont want to devote a lot of resources. They just want to
manage their service. They want to manage their KPIs and guarantee
that their licensed signal is not being interfered with, and that they can
manage their customers. Ul6mately, all the par6es need a win-win
solu6on. In order to do that, you need to have one simplied
architecture. Mul6ple, noncohesive systems are no longer aordable.
Its just not akrac6ve for anyone to deploy that.
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SpiderCloud: Art King, Director of Enterprise Services and Technologies

Making densicaAon in the enterprise aordable
In the enterprise, the biggest challenge today is to move beyond major
venues like stadiums or airports, where DAS is commonly deployed, to
address smaller venues a large market with coverage and capacity
requirements that have not been addressed yet.
Small cells are opening up the total addressable market to include
smaller oce buildings that just werent available in the past for
coverage and capacity improvements. In the DAS model, you build a
big wideband antenna through a building and then plug base sta6ons
into it. That model does not work for smaller buildings. Were bringing
technology to address the unmet needs of the subscriber buildings
from 50,000 to half a million sq o, said Art.
The benets of indoor infrastructure are not limited to the venue, but
extend to the surrounding area where macro cells provide
connec6vity. Art added: When we started seeing indoor systems
drive a drop in macro usage by 50%, light bulbs started going on,
where people started thinking about doing holis6c engineering.

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BT: Andy Sugon, Principal Network Architect

The many roads to densicaAon
Indoor coverage is acquiring a more prominent role in densica6on
strategies. Andy said: The next phase is to really understand how we
deploy ever smaller cells, and 6e that in, also, with our approach to in-
building coverage. If a huge amount of data is generated in-building,
and we can manage that capacity within the building, then of course
its going to reduce the demand on the external macro network.
Currently were considering the op6mal strategy for balancing growth
in external network capacity with managing in-building coverage to
remove, eec6vely, capacity demand at the source, therefore helping
us to balance the overall network. In areas of high in-building demand,
rather than transmiung everything from outside in, we can manage
that capacity more eciently with in-building solu6ons.
As the need for small cells increases, operators s6ll face challenges in
their deployment. Among the challenges we foresee, site acquisi6on
is always one that operators have. We need to develop new strategic
partnerships. We also need to understand what new business models
are available for both external and internal deployments, Andy
added.

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Carolina Panthers: James Hammond, Director of InformaAon Technology,

Carolina Panthers, and Kevin Schmonsees, CTO, Beam Wireless
DAS and Wi-Fi join forces to keep sports fans happy
Fans want to have in a stadium the same experience as they do
anywhere else and this is so crucial to their experience that stadium
owners see it as a top priority, to the point that they may decide to
own it and take full control of it.
James told us: It is a scary thing to bring a third-party managed
system in house and take full responsibility for that. That was a scary
decision, but it was the right decision to make. Because weve got a
saying here. Our owner, Jerry Richardson, says that the fan is the most
valuable member of our team.
And to keep fans happy, both DAS and Wi-Fi are needed. Kevin, who
manages the DAS is a big supporter of Wi-Fi: Ill say, Please use it.
Its funny: because I handle the DAS side, the expecta6on would
probably be that I wouldnt care that much about Wi-Fi. But I am
thrilled to see the new Wi-Fi system going into the stadium, because
the biggest help for the DAS is to have that Wi-Fi data ooad.

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A view on densicaAon from the enterprise:

Anonymous at US-based global manufacturing/retail corporaAon
Im looking to move to small cells. Ive been pushing carriers in that
direc6on. Unfortunately, I havent got them on the same page as I am.
They have their single-point solu6on; for each carrier, its all
dierent.
What Id really want is one provider that could give me one system
on which I could put mul6ple carriers. I dont necessarily want to run
the system myself, but I want the benet of being able to add services
as small-cell companies add features. The carrier is not going to oer
them at the same rate I want to consume them at. Addi6onally, if each
carrier used dierent solu6ons I would not be able to oer the same
enterprise features for all employees.
With control, cohesion and transparency comes the willingness of the
enterprise to pay for the in-building infrastructure. Depending on the
level of control, I dont mind owning it. I may not want to run it, I may
want to push that to a third party, but I do want to have full control
over what features are turned on.

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Thanks for listening

Q&A

The report will be published on September 28, 2016

Before then you can download the interviews and register to
receive your copy of the report from RCR Wireless News or
Senza Fili websites

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Senza Fili provides advisory support on wireless data technologies and services. At Senza Fili we have in depth
exper6se in nancial modelling, market forecasts and research, white paper prepara6on, business plan
support, RFP prepara6on and management, due diligence, and training. Our client base is interna6onal and
spans the en6re value chain: clients include wireline, xed wireless, and mobile operators, enterprises and
other ver6cal players, vendors, system integrators, investors, regulators, and industry associa6ons. We
provide a bridge between technologies and services, helping our clients assess established and emerging
technologies, leverage these technologies to support new or exis6ng services, and build solid, protable
business models. Independent advice, a strong quan6ta6ve orienta6on, and an interna6onal perspec6ve are
the hallmarks of our work. For addi6onal informa6on, visit www.senzaliconsul6ng.com, or contact us at
info@senzaliconsul6ng.com or +1 425 657 4991.

Monica Paolini, PhD, is the founder and president of Senza Fili. She is an expert in wireless technologies and
has helped clients worldwide to understand technology and customer requirements, evaluate business plan
opportuni6es, market their services and products, and es6mate the market size and revenue opportunity of
new and established wireless technologies. She has frequently been invited to give presenta6ons at
conferences and has wriken several reports and ar6cles on wireless broadband technologies. She has a PhD in
cogni6ve science from the University of California, San Diego (US), an MBA from the University of Oxford (UK),
and a BA/MA in philosophy from the University of Bologna (Italy). You can search her at
monica.paolini@senzaliconsul6ng.com.

2016 Senza Fili ConsulAng, LLC. All rights reserved.

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