90% of of mobile operators, compared to eighty-six percent last year have already deployed small cells, while the rest plan to do so by the end of 2017, according to a study conducted by IHS Markit with mobile operators worldwide about their small cell buildout plans.
This illustrates the continued importance of adding small cells into existing macrocellular networks to close up coverage gaps and increase capacity, said IHS. The principal business drivers behind operators’ deployment of small cells are lower subscriber churn and increased revenue.
IHS found that survey respondents are mostly connecting small cells to the nearest base station (BTS), but the use of gateways is rising. The bulk of small cells are being deployed in the 1.5GHz to 2.2GHz spectrum, where 3G and Long Term Evolution (LTE) reside.
According to IHS, when it comes to small cell product features, security has consistently risen from the bottom of respondents’ list five years ago to the top-rated feature this year after placing second last year. This is attributable to the increasing frequency and severity of security breaches and network hacking. Generally speaking, a small cell is easier to hack than a macro site that is typically not easily accessible to the public - and this will continue despite their camouflage. However, innovation in small cell installation in public spaces has led to small cells being embedded into furniture in public places such as bus stops in Amsterdam and London.
The market research firm said that the integration of Alcatel-Lucent has led to the new Nokia emerging as the top small cell manufacturer among those surveyed, followed by Ericsson, Huawei and SpiderCloud, which continues its ascension. Nokia has the largest installed base, Ericsson leads under evaluation, and in China a flurry of homegrown players are under evaluation as well.
