NASHVILLE, Tenn.-The Wireless Infrastructure Association’s annual convention began with the launch of a new a new forum that says its mission is to promote the understanding, acceptance and deployment of distributed antenna systems.
DAS usage is gaining ground as a way to propagate RF signals for both outdoor and in-building coverage as wireless operators roll out third-generation data services. For in-building coverage, cellular signals are usually sent from a base station inside the building to antennas distributed throughout the building. With a DAS, each operator serving the particular market can place a base station in the building and access the DAS for antenna coverage, eliminating the need for each carrier to install their own antennas.
A similar approach is used in outdoor scenarios, explained Sunil Prasad, director of Innovation Realization for Fixed and Wireless Broadband at Sprint Nextel Corp. DAS can help operators save time and money as they plan service deployments since DAS can slash the amount of hardware needed for deployments, including the installation costs of the hardware, along with the tab associated with managing the regulatory issues, Prasad noted.
Overall, DAS can be thought of as the next-generation of co-location, or perhaps as the ultimate co-location guide for carriers. They can share the costs of setting up antenna sites while operating other aspects of their networks independently.
PCIA’s senior director of Government and Industry Affairs Connie Durcsak told RCR Wireless News that PCIA created the DAS Forum to address the information requests it receives from government bodies at local, state and federal levels. Municipalities are especially interested in the DAS approach since many communities are looking for ways to serve carrier needs without letting carriers strap wireless gear onto every light pole in town.
Founding members of the forum include Corning Cable, Crown Castle International Corp., Sprint Nextel and the Donohue & Blue plc law firm.
During Wednesday’s keynote address, a panel of heavy-hitting tower company CEOs hit the stage to discuss the state of the industry.
- Jeffrey Stoops, president and CEO of SBA Communications Corp., said the tower sector was “very bullish” thanks to carriers’ network-improvement efforts along with rising minutes of use among consumer and enterprise subscribers.
- John Kelly, president and CEO of Crown Castle, pointed out that carriers have picked up 25 million subscribers this year as of the end of June, and called the increase a clear indication that Americans are migrating from wireline to wireless for both voice and data services.
- Jim Taiclet, chairman, president and CEO of American Tower Corp., commented that the wireless industry has a more stable customer base than it used to, a sentiment that was shared by Jerry Elliott, president and CEO of Global Signal Inc.
Collectively, the CEOs seemed to be telling carriers to “bring it on” regarding data services. “Our industry can handle it,” Stoops assured the audience. “We won’t be the hold up for any data deployments … We’re ready.”
PCIA President Michael Fitch asked what factors CEOs considered risks to their business plans. Elliott responded that he didn’t necessarily see any threats to industry, but he stressed that investors should understand varying growth rates among tower companies from year to year.
Taiclet wasn’t as cautious: “We’ll have continuity of growth in this industry for a very long time,” as data, entertainment services and eventually device-to-device services gain momentum. Taiclet also mentioned that Auction 66 spectrum winners soon will look for a return on their investment, but he also explained that it takes time for operators to plan and design their networks. He predicted that tower companies probably won’t see spectrum revenues until sometime in 2008.
As the conversation shifted to address concerns about tower-siting difficulties, Fitch joked that he’s going to start producing T-shirts that say, “No Sites, No Service.”
Kelly urged members to work harder to get to know local planning and zoning officials. He also praised the development of state wireless associations, saying they have helped the industry deal with complicated and diverse legislative and regulatory matters.
Stoops too cheered the advent of state wireless associations. “They’re great?we should do whatever we can to foster their growth.”
Chasing the next G
Later, three of the industry’s technologists strapped on their propeller hats and launched predictions about advancements in wireless technology.
“We’ve seen the last G-there aren’t going to be any more,” declared Vanu Chief Technology Officer John Chapin. Vanu develops software-defined radio technology, and Chapin opined that there will be no big-bang moments that encourage carriers to shut down their old networks. Instead, he said carriers’ networks will continue to get more complicated, and will require system tools that manage various technologies “up and down the stack, from antennas to billing. It’s not just one network anymore, it’s 10 networks from one provider. The future is highly heterogeneous.”
But Keith Radousky, vice president of business development at NexG Networks, contended, “There will be lots more Gs.”
Carriers are faced with multiple avenues for delivering services to their subscribers, and they’re actually more focused on determining which services they should be offering as opposed to how to deliver the services, said Tormod Larsen, CTO of ClearLinx Network Corp. “There’s more of a focus on content rather than infrastructure. Once they figure out what things subscribers will actually start using, the carriers can figure out how to deliver it cost efficiently.”
DAS, Pico cells and software-defined radio architectures bring a lot of opportunity into the mix, Larson said. “But one solution is not going to fit all applications.”
