Operator 3 UK outlines the push for urban 5G around small cells, with its latest trials scheduled to begin in major cities next month, with operators hoping this will be a thorough open RAN-based approach to municipal connectivity. We hope that it will form a blueprint for the review.
At an event last week, 3 Networks Director Ian Milligan announced that Open RAN would be trialled as part of plans to install a total of 51 small cells in Glasgow city center and surrounding areas. I explained that I had chosen it.
Phase 1 of the program will see the rollout of 20 small cells over 15 months, with the first site expected to go live late next month.
Milligan (Photo, left) Three opinions described small cells as a cost-effective means to fill current connectivity gaps and address fluctuating coverage when compared to full macro site deployments. He noted that urban environments often present challenges due to planning and other restrictions.
Small cells offer a faster deployment path than a full macro build, which could take about a year in total, he said.
In this case, small cell equipment will be mounted on CCTV poles in the city centre.
openness
The operator has chosen to use the trial to test the feasibility of open RAN, making this a point where its UK competitors have largely focused their efforts to use the architecture in rural environments. Milligan said this is a point of differentiation.
He argued that the rural approach does not provide the necessary information about the performance of open RAN in high traffic situations.
“We’re doing everything in our power to actually try to solve it.” [the] We can solve a problem once and for all,” he explained, adding that establishing Model 3 could offer a “transformative experience” in terms of connectivity, while potentially selling it to authorities in other UK cities. mentioned the possibility.
“What we are doing is the first large-scale deployment in a dense urban location,” he continued, adding that the three companies are “all in one location in one of the most densely populated areas in the UK.” So…I chose it to actually test it.” experience, how it solves problems, and enables targeted network deployment.
Milligan said carriers expect coverage within small cell areas to increase by 61 percent over current capacity and data rates to increase by an average of 35 percent.
Previous small cell trials in Leeds city showed a 15x increase in 5G data rates in the immediate area of the site, and a 25% increase in the wider area.
Mr Milligan said the three companies were also considering trials of small cells in other urban areas such as Nottingham and Sheffield, but added that Glasgow would be the first time open RAN would be involved.
Teamwork
The operator’s work in the city includes partnerships with Boldyn Networks, Mavenir, Accenture, AWTG and PI Works to manufacture, install and test equipment.
“What Open RAN enables us to do is not only do a variety of activities, but also have innovative technology capabilities,” Milligan explained, adding that it allows for upgrades and changes compared to traditional network deployments. We have listed the advantages in terms of employing software for implementation. The entire site will change.
Milligan emphasized interoperability as part of Open RAN’s broader appeal. In Glasgow, operators currently use equipment from major vendors such as Nokia, Ericsson and Huawei, but the executive said Mavenir’s small cells will employ open software to maintain the same level of service. He pointed out that he was doing so. customer experience.
The three networks chief pointed out that the importance of the partnership goes beyond technology, citing a closer relationship with the Glasgow authorities as another key part of the blueprint the carrier wants to develop.
He outlined the city’s unique arrangement to create a dedicated team to drive telecommunications projects as part of its wider Digital Glasgow initiative.
Essentially, this move minimizes bureaucracy and provides the three companies with a single point of contact rather than multiple officials, which benefits them in terms of access to infrastructure to deploy small cells. Milligan said.
“It’s very unusual in our experience to have this kind of relationship with a council that is trying to make things easier,” he said, adding that other parts of the UK would adopt similar policies. He added that there are three ways to encourage people to do this. approach.
Paul Leinster, councilor and chair of the Digital Glasgow Initiative, said the Glasgow Communications Department was a “first in Scotland” and provided a “single entry point into the city council for the industry”. .
“As a result, infrastructure planning and deployment has become relatively cost- and time-efficient,” Leinster said, explaining that this “results in a substantial reduction in the cost of doing business” with the city.
government goals
Mr Milligan argued that urban deployments of open RAN were needed to meet the UK government’s target of having 35 per cent of all network traffic carried in open and interoperable architectures by 2030.
The move to small cells is a great opportunity to use open RAN, allowing you to effectively test in a new environment before committing to a more serious deployment.
Of course, there is an implicit theme in Milligan’s bullishness about this approach, as 3 is embroiled in the complex process of trying to secure permission to partner with Vodafone UK, which is pushing to open the RAN. It might be.
The executive focused on the coverage benefits of small cells compared to macro equipment, emphasizing the benefits of vendor diversity and innovation that open RAN brings.
Small cells offer an opportunity to address quality of service and coverage issues. Milligan noted that users can receive a strong data signal in one location, but lose the signal as they move within a city, potentially hampering efforts to boost the digital economy.
The company is leveraging the full range of 5G spectrum to address congestion issues.
The three executives said they do not expect security concerns to arise from open RAN deployment. mobile world live Hardware and software will continue to be subject to the same tests that operators must perform on their current equipment.
What this means, of course, is that these are the same trials that Huawei’s equipment had to go through. Milligan believes the decision to ban the Chinese vendor’s products was purely political, but ultimately the switch to open RAN by the three companies and other carriers will lead to such changes. arguments may become meaningless. Signaling the end of dependence on a single vendor.
