Nokia Networks on Wednesday announced the launch of its new HetNet Engine Room service for U.S. telecom operators.
Nokia HetNet Engine Room service
# speeds up small cell deployments by 30%
# cuts costs by 20%
# reaches 10% more people
Nokia Networks uses a special Site Value Index to simplify the process of evaluating where to place small cells. Telecom operators can deploy small cells 30 percent faster, with costs reduced by around 20 percent, and serve 10 percent more subscribers.
The actual small cell network equipment accounts for only around 10 percent of the total cost of ownership, while the remaining is accounted for by sites, backhaul, deployment and operational costs.
Costs for deploying small cells include acquisition of new sites, getting permits and providing power and backhaul. The new HetNet Engine Room helps operators forecast the costs of a site location and the ROI, allowing them to build dense networks in the most effective way.
Nokia Networks said its small cell trial with HetNet Engine Room service in the U.S. revealed that it can be challenging to control small cells deployment costs due to the availability of power, backhaul and municipal requirements to complete work.
Pole rental costs can range from $50 to $1,000 per month. Costs can vary significantly from one side of a road to another and between locations only a few feet apart.
The HetNet Engine Room service uses 3-D street level maps to determine potential locations that are the most viable for deployment, taking into consideration spectral efficiency, traffic hotspots and street assets such as pole height, access to fiber and power cabinets.
A 3-D geolocation tool helps select the right locations inside multi-story buildings to target small cells and distributed antenna system (DAS) investments.
Deployment costs are then forecast by reviewing jurisdiction and permit requirements, including trenching costs, structural analysis and possible pole replacement.
“By using a fact-based, automated solution to identify areas needing coverage – both indoor and outdoor – installation becomes more cost efficient and deployment times are significantly reduced,” said Asad Rizvi, vice president of Services for North America, Nokia Networks.
Baburajan K
editor@telecomlead.com
