In a move to help define the business case for small cell deployments, consulting firm Wireless 20/20 unveiled a software platform designed to allow carriers and venue owners to simulate the impact of mixing Wi-Fi and cellular-based mobile broadband services into locations such as stadiums, arenas and airports.
The platform, dubbed the WiROI Venue Tool, allows models to be run analyzing different environments where wireless carriers and venue owners may be looking to add capacity and coverage to serve customers. The firm noted the software tool can simulate the impact of “tens of thousands of users using smartphones in a venue” and helps carriers in “determining whether to deploy” a Wi-Fi network, a small cell network or a combination of both in “order to provide sufficient data capacity.”
“The tool can also be used to model revenue scenarios, allowing operators to analyze how they can best monetize the investment in venue networks and provide a complete return on investment analysis,” Wireless 20/20 noted. The firm added that the software also allows for the modeling of projected data growth over a 10-year period to help analyze long-term planning of operating expenses and capital expenses.
“Our goal is to provide MNOs and venue owners with a modeling tool to help them dimension their network, to plan for the future and reduce the chance of frequent rip and replacement of their network,” said Haig Sarkissian, principal consultant at Wireless 20/20.
Bored? Why not follow me on Twitter?
