The small cell backhaul cost conundrum

Easing congestion to give consumers a better quality of experience is one of many benefits small cells will bring to urban hot spots - but how will they impact backhaul costs?

Outdoor small cell networks will result in a significant increase in the number of cell sites, which in turn means many new backhaul connections will be needed.

If operators continue to use the same backhaul technologies that were used for macro sites, there will be a significant rise in transport costs.

A roll out of small cells dictates significant network investment and certain aspects are unavoidable, such as equipment, installation, spectrum licensing and rental costs for the Radio Access Network.

However…

Cost reduction opportunities

Selecting a backhaul solution has a significant impact on small cell network performance and offers operators one of the biggest challenges, yet the greatest opportunity to reduce and manage costs.

In selecting a small cell backhaul solution operators must ensure it provides good coverage with sufficient capacity at the lowest overall cost of ownership.

These three ‘Cs’ make up the fundamental requirements for small cell backhaul.

Cost-effective solutions

The obvious selections may not yield the best return on investment and the cost to carry a Mbps of traffic is a crucial parameter if small cell networks are to quickly become profitable.

Wireless point to multipoint microwave is one of several options available for small cell backhaul.

Point to multipoint is unique in offering a quick to deploy and high-capacity solution to fulfil small cell network requirements and offers a low cost per connection.

Download a FREE copy of our latest white paper - Easy Small Cell Backhaul

Read a full analysis of small cell backhaul requirements and a comparison of solutions, including fibre, line of sight, non-line of sight and the new CBNL VectaStar Metro wireless point to multipoint microwave product.