Buildout becomes more complex

The wireless industry faces major challenges in designing networks capable of carrying bandwidth-consuming multimedia content and reliably delivering to consumers in the future, according to company executives.
Industry experts said wireless infrastructure buildout has become more complex than it has been in the past for mobile-phone operators, a reality driven by wireless consumers’ expectations for the variety and quality of broadband access they’re used to receiving from landline telephone and cable TV that dominate the high-speed Internet market. Complicating matters for network designers, they said, are business strategies of telecom operators in marketing of triple- and quadruple-play bundles, the complexity of traffic over fat pipes and the crafting of revenue-sharing agreements among stakeholders in the value chain. On top of it all, noted Raymond James telecom analyst Ric Prentiss, is that devices have to be conducive to handling new applications on wireless networks.
“It’s less about mobility and more about residential [coverage] ” said John Storch, vice president of network deployment for Clearwire Corp. Storch said utility pole placements are valuable assets in getting wireless broadband service to residential consumers.
The wireless industry is pressing the Federal Communications Commission to make access to utility poles fairer and more equitable.
“Infrastructure is going to be absolutely critical to realizing potential,” said Jake MacLeod, principal vice president and chief technology officer for Bechtel Communications.
MacLeod and other panelists at the breakfast roundtable sponsored by Raymond James said securing adequate backhaul capacity – which can be highly costly for service providers – will be a key to building networks in the future. “Demand will increase for backhaul because of increased demand for bandwidth,” said MacLeod. “There is an insatiable demand for bandwidth.”
At the same time, industry leaders said network designers will have to balance capacity requirements with propagation characteristics of spectrum they control in a host of different frequency bands.
Having sufficient spectrum is only part of the calculus in designing future wireless broadband networks, however. Indeed, panelists said in-building penetration is critical to rolling out quality wireless broadband service.
“It’s a little bit more of a deployment technique and less about spectrum,” said David Cutrer, chief technology officer and co-founder of NextG Networks. He predicted there will significant capital expenditures on in-building coverage.
Panelists did not touch on other obstacles they’re encountering, including new federal backup power guidelines and tower lighting issues tied to migratory bird deaths.