Wireless 20/20 consultant calls neutral host a ‘win-win for MNOs and venue owners’
Currently, carriers, enterprises and venue owners are focusing network infrastructure investment on providing the same level of cellular coverage and capacity that end users expect outdoors inside a wide range of buildings. Wireless 20/20 Principal Consultant Randall Schwartz said neutral host networks are key to balancing the need for coverage and capacity with the reality of ever-present cost pressures.
According to a recent blog post from Schwartz, published by the Small Cell Forum, “As individual [mobile network operators] look to deploy their own solutions in a venue, the cost for providing this additional coverage may not justify the benefit for the improved service. Yet, if a third party can provide one shared infrastructure, such as DAS, small cells or cloud RAN that can support all operators in a venue, the economics suddenly turn in favor of both the Neutral Host provider and the MNOs.”
Noting that 80% of traffic comes from inside buildings, coupled with the bring-your-own-device trend, Schwartz illustrates the imperative that is in-building wireless deployments.
“Quality wireless service has become an expected feature in dense user environments such as stadiums, shopping malls and airports,” he wrote. “Venue owners have become more focused on the need, and the value of providing excellent wireless service throughout their venues.”
One big challenge, he points out, is limitations on space. “In many cases, it is either undesirable due to appearance, or impossible due to limitation of physical space for three to four MNOs to each deploy their own infrastructure in a building. These factors emphasize the desirability to have one shared infrastructure in a venue that can support all of the MNOs that want to be  present in a location.”
That problem can be solved by provisioning a neutral host network infrastructure.
“Venue owners, mobile operators and Neutral Host Service Providers can all take advantage of the cost savings and efficiency of resources brought on by the sharing of infrastructure in venue environments. This creates a lasting win-win-win advantage for all industry players,” Schwartz concludes.
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