Ericsson will begin offering “Small cell as a Service” in urban areas where it is not practical to densify existing operator networks. The Ericsson service involves using low-powered, short-range radio access nodes to supplement existing telecom networks and increase capacity in traffic hot spots where large numbers of users gather. The plan would seamlessly combine 3G/4G with carrier-grade Wi-Fi while allowing for the monetization of dedicated media content, advertising and over-the-top services.
The resulting densified network would be owned by either Ericsson or a partner, and could serve multiple operators in scenarios when dedicated operator deployments are impractical. Ericsson would in essence take over the existing network infrastructure, which – depending on the type of
environment – could be either a distributed antenna system (DAS), a Wi-Fi system or both.
Ericsson said it is well positioned to enter the business of “Small Cell as a Service” because of its ability to plan, design and operate networks in very challenging radio environments.
“This is an innovative managed services model that we are launching to cope with the huge volumes of traffic that are generated in areas where large numbers of people gather. Our solution is unique because of our ability to seamlessly combine 3G/4G with carrier-grade Wi-Fi, thereby ensuring that network capacity always exceeds demand,” stated Jean-Claude Geha, Vice President and Head of Managed Services, Ericsson.
