Category: Het Nets

The Het Nets posts examine new mobile access architectures (and the advances needed to make them a reality) including small cells along with traditional macro cells as well as cellular technologies alongside technologies like WiFi.

Do Small-Cell Vendors Have WiFi Deployment Envy?

by , posted in Het Nets, Ultra Broadband
Ed Gubbins
Ed Gubbins

Summary Bullets:

  • Enterprises are likely to base small-cell deployment expectations on the ease of WiFi AP intalls.
  • Vendors may approach this issue differently based on their services-business strategies.

“Base stations are deployed by RF engineers. WiFi is deployed by interior decorators.”

I don’t know who said that first; I know I heard it first from Teclo Networks’ Jane Walerud.

In any case, the distinction expressed in that quote comes up a lot these days in discussions about deploying small cells, especially since small cells often double as WiFi APs and, in some cases, even plug into existing APs. The tasks of RF engineering and interior decorating are increasingly falling upon the same people. Much has been said about the challenges of deploying small cells outdoors. When it comes to deploying them indoors, folks in the WiFi world, who are generally more accustomed to indoor environments, could offer some advice. That advice is: Whether you are trying to penetrate homes or businesses, if you’re trying to deploy small cells indoors, they need to be very easy to deploy. This is partly because even enterprise IT folks have been spoiled by the ease of deploying WiFi. Small cells can’t help but be compared to their more easy-going cousin. Continue reading “Do Small-Cell Vendors Have WiFi Deployment Envy?” →

Portable Applications vs. Distributed NFV – Where’s the Broader Interest?

by , posted in Het Nets, Net Transformation, SDN/NFV
Peter Jarich
Peter Jarich

Summary Bullets:

  • Quortus and Cavium announced the integration of EPC software into Cavium’s small-cell silicon, delivering application intelligence at the network edge.
  • Current Analysis survey work suggests that operators do not see an interest in scaling applications to the network edge. This could be a short-sighted decision.

On July 21st, Quortus announced that it had managed to integrate EPC functionality into small-cell silicon from Cavium. Delivering “portable applications” and “edge-based intelligence” is what Quortus does, so the news was not particularly earth-shattering. Given the relatively niche use cases called out – emergency services, public safety, military communications – it was also the type of announcement that was likely to get overlooked.

Personally, it piqued my interest. Continue reading “Portable Applications vs. Distributed NFV – Where’s the Broader Interest?” →

With Enterprise Small Cells, Remember: Not All Enterprises Are Alike

by , posted in Het Nets, Ultra Broadband
Ed Gubbins
Ed Gubbins

Summary Bullets:

  • Enterprise small-cell deployment strategies need to include market segmentation.
  • This segmentation takes many forms and has both technology and business model implications.

Much attention’s been paid in the past year to small cells for enterprises. However, it is important to remember in these conversations that not all enterprises are alike. Continue reading “With Enterprise Small Cells, Remember: Not All Enterprises Are Alike” →

C-RAN, 5G and Other Disruptive RAN Trends Lure Startups

by , posted in Het Nets, Net Transformation, Ultra Broadband
Ed Gubbins
Ed Gubbins

Summary Bullets:

  • Potentially disruptive RAN trends are attracting startups
  • Small cells, C-RAN and 5G are just some of the areas drawing investment and focus

Network technologies are constantly evolving, but when that evolution takes a significant leap, it emits the scent of opportunity to entrepreneurs and other outsiders eager to capitalize on rapid change. Today’s RAN business is certainly no exception, as multiple current trends therein promise enough disruption to tempt new players into the game. Continue reading “C-RAN, 5G and Other Disruptive RAN Trends Lure Startups” →

Small Cells World Summit 2014: What Was Missing

by , posted in Het Nets, Net Transformation, SDN/NFV
Peter Jarich
Peter Jarich

As we discussed in our Small Cells World Summit roundup, there was a lot going on at the small cell industry’s annual confab last week – some of it old, some of it new. Yet, if one of the event’s themes was the nagging question of why deployments won’t ramp more quickly, we need to ask another question. What was missing from the event? What isn’t the industry talking about (or talking about enough) that may be important in helping it move forward?

From our perspective, two things stand out. Continue reading “Small Cells World Summit 2014: What Was Missing” →

Small Cells World Summit 2014: Something Old, Something New

by , posted in Het Nets, Net Transformation, SDN/NFV
Peter Jarich
Peter Jarich

I spent last week in London at the Small Cells World Summit. If you’re looking for a recap of the main themes, you can check that out here.

If you want a shorter version, the event boiled down to two key themes: old stuff and new stuff. Simple, huh? Much of the vendor and operator messaging focused on issues that the market has been grappling with for a while. The slow maturing of solutions and slowly ramping deployments. Difficulties in actually siting small cells. The evolving definition of what a small cell is. The availability of many, competing small cell backhaul technologies and architectures – with little insight (yet) into which may win out. Continue reading “Small Cells World Summit 2014: Something Old, Something New” →

Wait, the Hot New Technology Is DAS? Really?

by , posted in Het Nets, Ultra Broadband
Ed Gubbins
Ed Gubbins

My family will back me up on this: If I tell you that, until very recently, I’d never seen a TV commercial for distributed antenna systems (DAS) before, it’s not because I don’t watch much TV.

No, AT&T began airing ads touting its DAS and small-cell deployments this year, as a competitive claim to a higher-quality network. But the tectonic shift that would usher in DAS ads on TV, or (possibly) the term DAS permeating the mainstream lexicon, goes far beyond AT&T. DAS has definitely become a lot more visible in the past year or two. With greater attention these days to densifying networks and penetrating indoor commercial spaces, it would be odd for DAS not to enjoy at least some of the hype being showered upon small cells. Continue reading “Wait, the Hot New Technology Is DAS? Really?” →

Another Reason to Talk About 5G: Pulling Non-Telecom Sectors into the Tent

by , posted in Het Nets, Net Transformation, Ultra Broadband
Ed Gubbins
Ed Gubbins

Be warned: If you’re a mobile operator or a RAN infrastructure vendor, and you want to talk publicly about 5G, you’re going to annoy people.

After all, it’s 2014. 5G isn’t expected to arrive in any real form until around 2020. Right now, it’s not even defined. Usually described as a wish list of disparate features including high speed, low latency and device battery conservation, it could include everything from millimeter wave technology to predictive algorithms. (When I addressed this topic as part of a panel at last year’s LTE North America show, I put it this way: “It’s a little bit zen. In order to understand 5G, you must first understand that there is no 5G.”) So, sure, there’s a lot of work to be done behind the scenes in consortiums and labs and industry standards working group committees and so on. But not in noisy press releases, right? Not yet? Continue reading “Another Reason to Talk About 5G: Pulling Non-Telecom Sectors into the Tent” →

Do Fixed Networking Products Really Matter as the World Goes Mobile?

by , posted in Het Nets, Net Transformation, Ultra Broadband
Jason Marcheck
Jason Marcheck

As we were finishing up the latest iteration of our monthly round up of telecom vendor services contract announcements, we paid special attention to Alcatel-Lucent’s announcement with China Mobile on a wholesale network transformation project. Unlike most LTE network rollout deals we typically see, this one called not only for the requisite macro base stations and mobile core equipment, but also for small cells and GPON kit in order to enable China Mobile to provide its users with high-speed broadband access regardless of where they might happen to be or what device they might be using at any given time.

Comprehensive? Yes. A sign of things to come? Could be. Continue reading “Do Fixed Networking Products Really Matter as the World Goes Mobile?” →

Huawei 2013 Annual Report: Does the Company’s Growth Engine Need Some GAS?

by , posted in Het Nets, SDN/NFV, Ultra Broadband, Vendor Transformation
Jason Marcheck
Jason Marcheck

Every year, Huawei releases its annual report in the run up to its Global Analyst Summit (colloquially called “GAS” – by Huawei, that is) and then generally spends the first day of its conference reviewing the results. This year, as we all get our visa applications in order and start travel planning, Huawei’s annual report offers a glimpse of what we should be hearing from the vendor at its annual gathering.

My bet: While I’m sure there will be some management consulting-style marketing spin applied, the key takeaway for most of us will be that Huawei has officially settled into the reality of a mature market player. To be sure, it will point to impressive growth percentages from its enterprise and consumer businesses (32.4% and 17.8% YoY, respectively). However, the fact is that Huawei’s fastest growing business still barely represents one-twentieth of the vendor’s yearly bookings. Continue reading “Huawei 2013 Annual Report: Does the Company’s Growth Engine Need Some GAS?” →