Improved in-building coverage increases customer usage and can drive customer acquisition and retention strategies. Not only is a picocell able to extend network coverage and capacity where none previously existed, but it does this at very low cost because the traffic is backhauled to the mobile operator's core network over the customer's existing broadband link.
These cost savings can be passed on to customers in the form of targeted “office zone” tariffs, making the mobile phone competitive with the fixed line telephone. Thus, picocells have the potential to play a significant disruptive role in Fixed Mobile Substitution (FMS).
This Case for Picocells white paper explores the business case for picocells from the point of view of the mobile network operator and focuses on two important scenarios:
- Macrocell offload - deploying picocells to provide extra capacity in areas where the macro network would otherwise need to be upgraded to cope with demand.
- Enterprise in-building coverage - deploying picocells to provide coverage inside corporate offices where the macro network signal is weak or non-existent.
ip.access has built several models that can be used to analyse the cost savings that can accrue through the deployment of nanoGSM picocells versus alternative solutions. The white paper provides a fuller discussion of the models and the assumptions made.
