Written by: Patrik Sivermalm
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With the objective of building more efficient radio networks, Ericsson has developed a portfolio of complete Radio Site solutions that espouse low total cost of ownership (TCO). The portfolio addresses everything from radio performance to supporting systems, such as power supply and transmission. It also addresses ordering and services, such as site engineering, installation and integration services.
These unique solutions take network planning to the next level. In particular, the combination of innovative radio features and efficient site solutions allows operators to reduce the total number of radio sites in their access networks.
Background
Operators face many difficult decisions when deploying radio networks. Today, considerable new growth occurs in emerging markets where income and average revenue per user (ARPU) are relatively low. In more mature and developed markets, by contrast, the main emphasis is on optimizing operating expenses (OPEX). But regardless of where operators do business, they must all optimize their entry-level investments in radio networks in such a way that these networks can start paying for themselves in months, not years. And in doing so, they must consider several interrelated questions (Figure 2). What, for example, is the initial demand for capacity? How many sites will be needed to cover a given area? What is the value of an improved link budget? And when will more capacity become necessary?
Ericsson has addressed these and other questions, developing a collection of cost-effective Radio Site solutions to specific environmental scenarios. Moreover, it should be noted that multiple solutions exist for metropolitan, suburban, rural, and in-building site environments. Examples include indoor and outdoor macro sites as well as rooftop and main-remote solutions with minimum footprints. To facilitate planning prior to rollout, each solution has been optimized for a given environment and dimensioned with the most appropriate radio configuration and supporting equipment and services. The solutions also address other concerns that might have significant impact when building radio sites.
Supporting cost-effective radio networks
Today, fifty years after the introduction of the first mobile phones, you could think that radio base stations have, to some extent, become standardized items. However, while it is true that equipment is quite mature and readily available from numerous suppliers, Ericsson's Radio Site solutions show that the whole is still more than the sum of its parts. This is because the task of optimizing solutions for minimum TCO (CAPEX plus OPEX) entails rethinking the entire design, and engineering each component to contribute optimally to the overall equation. Merely combining the best or cheapest components in a package does not produce the same results.
Ericsson has also developed a model that enables operators to accurately calculate TCO for different Radio Site solutions. The model takes every relevant factor into account (Figure 3). CAPEX includes radio and transmission equipment, civil works, and network rollout. OPEX includes operation and maintenance.
