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This episode of Inside Telecom Careers is sponsored by Nexius: Accelerating Network and Business Transformation
Top 3 Wireless Infrastructure Service Company Takeaways
- CAPEX investments dipped in 2015: According to Martha DeGrasse, editor for RCR Wireless News, 2015 has been a challenging year for the wireless infrastructure company sector. This trend has been driven largely by:
- AT&T Mobility and Verizon Wireless completing the bulk of their LTE macro deployments during 2013 and 2014
- AT&T’s recent allocation of capital to the DirectTV, Iusacell and Nextel Mexico acquisitions
- delays in small cell network densification deployments due to technology, pole attachment lease cost and scalable deployment processes
- Improving network densification economics: AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile have been diligently preparing to densify their networks by:
- testing various technology configurations that include base station hotels and multi-band radio technologies
- buying metro dark fiber capable of connecting base station hotels to in-building DAS systems, outdoor DAS systems, and small cell networks that include Wi-Fi
- negotiating economical pole attachment agreements with municipalities directly or via third party, neutral host providers
- streamlining site acquisition, design, construction, test and acceptance process
- Wireless infrastructure service company professionalism: In order to massively and safely scale small cell deployments, mobile operators need partners, personnel, technologies and repeatable processes that will scale. Given the challenging economics associated with small cell deployments, carriers will require near flawless execution. Examples of the wireless infrastructure service company industry “growing-up” include:
- Industry association-led (PCIA And NATE) training and safety programs coupled with Warriors4Wireless and community college career development and apprentice programs.
- Consolidation of service companies that can provide nationwide, turnkey site acquisition and construction services. Examples include Nokia’s acquisition of SAC Wireless; Mastec acquisition of Dynis and WesTower Communications; H&M Networks acquisition of In-Building Wireless, and Goodman Networks acquisition of several regional service companies
- Software driven solutions that streamline and automate process to ensure that field technicians plan, execute and document completed work – the first time, to reduce truck rolls and overall cost of small cell deployment and ongoing operations.
- Plug and play installation and testing technologies. Ericsson, Nokia and Alcatel Lucent all have announced improved mounting technologies to simply installation process. In addition, companies like 3M and JMA Wireless have developed fiber splicing and connector technologies that fundamentally reduce the skill level (and cost) required to install and maintain small cell networks
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