Small Cells:The Next Wireless
Frontier
Wisconsin DOT Annual Utility Conference
Jeff Roznowski
President – Wisconsin Wireless Association
January 22, 2015
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Agenda
Demand for Bandwidth
Tower siting 101
Small Cells: what and why
Wisconsin Mobile Broadband Expansion Act of 2013
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Wisconsin Wireless Association
3The Wisconsin Wireless Association
Founded in 2008 to provide a consistent voice for the wireless industry in the Badger State
MissionPromote positive awareness about our great industryFormulate and cultivate strong relationships between the
members of our industryEnhance the communities we serve
Activities for our 400 membersEducation seminarsAdvocacy on regulatory and zoning issuesFundraising for our charity, Pediatric Ambulance Bags
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Wireless Paradigm: Demand Drives
Deployment
Consumers, businesses, and first responders demand and benefit from wireless services.
Increased demand for wireless services requires increased wireless network capacity and coverage.
Increased capacity and coverage requires additional infrastructure.
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The Demand for Wireless There were approximately 326 million wireless
subscribers in the U.S. as of December 2012.
The number of estimated wireless subscribers increased 130% between 2002 and 2012.
2.2 trillion annual text messages in 2012.
An estimated 63% of mobile device owners used their device to access the Internet in 2013.
U.S. consumers logged over 2.3 trillion minutes of use on their mobile devices in 2012.
Over 38 % of U.S. households have substituted landline telephone service with mobile wireless service.
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The Future of Wireless
Wireless broadband access and application use are driving increased demand for wireless capacity and coverage.
In 2014 U.S. wireless networks carried approximately 40 times the amount of traffic they carried in 2009.
A majority of the people in the world will use a mobile device as their primary Internet access tool by 2020, according to estimates.
Wireless service and infrastructure providers have invested over $273 billion in 302,000 sites to deploy and update wireless networks; a trend that will continue in order to meet growing demand and that will benefit consumers, businesses, and local and national economic growth.
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7Wireless Broadband Infrastructure:A Catalyst for GDP and Job Growth 2013
– 2017
Mobile Broadband investments of $34 – 36 billion per year will increase GDP in 2017 by 1.6% to 2.2%$259.1 to $355.3 billion
Generates up to 1.2 million net new jobs
28,000 of these jobs are directly attributed to the investment in the build-out of wireless broadband
This is achievable because of an anticipated surge in mobile-based technology innovations and applications
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8The Benefits of Wireless: Public Safety
First responders require robust high-speed wireless communications to deliver voice, video, and data services to save lives, prevent and solve crimes, and fight fires.
Mobile text alerts allow local, state, and federal public safety agencies to provide critical information to the public before, during, and after emergencies.
Wireless users placed over 400,000 Enhanced 911 calls per day in 2011, amounting to approximately 70% of all E911 calls.
Public safety services require accurate location information to respond to calls from wireless devices, which is enhanced by robust wireless infrastructure.
The inability of a wireless user to connect to a network because of a lack of infrastructure endangers both citizens and first
responders. 1/22/2015
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9Determining the Need for A New Site
Radio frequency engineers conduct scientific analysis of the network, examining network performance and usage patterns.
Customer feedback and market research help identify where network improvements are necessary.
Provider engineering teams will conduct real-world tests in an area to further refine and identify the need for network improvements.
Radio frequency engineers identify the locations within the area that offer the best technical solution to alleviate the capacity constraint or reduce coverage caps.
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Wireless Siting SelectionWireless service providers deploy additional sites to relieve
capacity constraints and fill coverage gaps.
A zoning specialist will examine local regulations and attempt to find a site that is sensitive to the unique character of the community and serves the needs of the provider.
A site acquisition specialist will work with property owners to identify viable leasing options.
Wireless service providers will nearly always attempt to meet the need for network improvements through
collocation
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11Types of Wireless Infrastructure
Traditional Wireless infrastructure types can include: Collocation on existing and new antenna support structures,
rooftops, and other support structures.
Existing and new antenna support structures
Monopole tower
Self-supporting lattice tower
Guyed tower
Alternative and supplemental infrastructure options Small Cells
Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS)
WiFi
Femtocells1/22/2015
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Collocation
Collocation is a preferred method of wireless facility siting.
It involves the placement of wireless antennas on pre-existing structures such as towers, buildings, water towers, utility poles, and other structures.
Collocated facilities balance the aesthetic concerns of the community and the needs of the service provider.
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13Existing & New Antenna Support Structures
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Monopole Lattice Guyed
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14Stealth Designs Enable wireless infrastructure to better blend with
surroundings
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Boulder
Building Monument
Bell Tower
Mono-Palm
Mono-Pine
Flag Pole
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Alternative Options
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Distributed Antenna Systems
(DAS)WiFi
SmallCells
Femtocells
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Small Cells: The Big Picture
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Small Cells: What Are They?
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• Low-powered radio access points• Compact:
• Indoor: One unit, 10” x 10” x 2”, weighing 5 lbs.• Outdoor:
• Antenna: 24” 15”, weighing 25 lbs.• Radio: 16” x 10” x 6”, weighing 20 Lbs.
• Covers up to 10,000 sq. ft. indoor to 1 mile in rural areas• 15-20 cells per square mile in urban setting
• Connects up to 32 devices, with each device supporting simultaneous voice & high speed data
• Handoff calls to other small cells• Backhaul:
• Fiber optic cable or wireless spectrum• Easy Deployment
• Low profile, compact, unobtrusive solution
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Small Cells: Why?
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• Improve in-building coverage• Used in densely populated areas to help augment
coverage and capacity• Offload traffic from the macro network• Multi-technology (3G, 4G)• Multiple antenna options• Self configuring when makes installation less
complex• Low profile, scalable, and unobtrusive
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Small Cells Examples
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20Milwaukee Area Small Cell Proposal
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Wisconsin Mobile Broadband Expansion Act
of 2013 Streamlined Review of New Tower and Collocation Request
New towers or substantial modifications: 90 day review No substantial modification: 45 day review
Application Fees capped $3000 for new or substantial modifications $500 if no substantial modification
Encourages wireless carrier investment while still maintaining local control
Applicants must explain why collocation was not chosen
These new regulations will help accelerate the expansion of broadband networks throughout Wisconsin, investments likely to exceed $100 million in
the coming years, by streamlining and standardizing the deployment of wireless infrastructure, while providing economic growth to consumers and
businesses. 1/22/2015
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THANK YOU!
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www.wisconsinwireless.org