Fastback Networks president predicts sub $20,000 deployment cost
LONDON, England – Small cells are poised to be a central component of future network developments but with so many small cells needed to push large-scale change, low capital and operating expenditures are key.
That was the main thrust of a presentation from Fastback Networks Founder and CEO Kevin Duffy today at Small Cells World Summit.
Duffy specifically referenced Sprint, which is expected to include small cells as a major part of its network investments.
Duffy said this could include deployment of hundreds of thousands of small cells. “If you’re going to do that,” he said, “every one of those [carriers] has to be thinking about deployability, scalability and the performance of each site. Each site can’t be an individual planning exercise. It has got to be formulaic.”
Duffy continued, noting that to deploy thousands of anything, in this case small cells, there must be a “cookie cutterish approach” with an emphasis on minimizing managed elements, reducing or eliminating recurring maintenance and doing all that with low-cost labor rather than highly skilled labor.
“The time to deploy, from the time you decide to stab this into the ground, erect it, commission it … the all-in cost of this is trending toward sub-$20,000 U.S.”
Fastback Networks provides backhaul radio solutions. In March Fastback Networks merged with Sub10 Systems keeping the former’s name.
Fastback is perhaps best known for its Intelligent Backhaul Radio, which started shipping in September 2013, works in any-line-of-sight condition and can be deployed in less than an hour. The IBR can support throughput of up to 800 Mbps with latency of 500 microseconds.
Small cell is considered a potential boon to backhaul providers.
“Small cell deployments have taken some time to take off. One of the remaining challenges is backhaul, and whilst there are solutions available there remains an opportunity for a vendor to take up a disruptive position,” said Richard Webb, senior principal analyst, mobile backhaul and small cells at Infonetics Research.
“The merger of Fastback’s any-line-of-sight technology with Sub10 Systems millimeter wave portfolio looks like an innovative combination that could give operators a genuine alternative to solutions already on the market,” he said.
Stay tuned to RCR Wireless News for coverage of Small Cells World Summit.
