Mass network densification for 5G – is the UK ready?

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Jun

6

Mass network densification for 5G – is the UK ready?

Brought to you by The Small Cell Group

The need for mass indoor small cell deployments to provide sufficient capacity has been overhyped for GSM, 3G and currently LTE networks, but has failed to materialise. Small cells seem to be growing in size and moving outside, while their numbers remain small, so what will make it different for 5G?

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Event Information

Started 6 June 2018 at 09:00

Approx 7 hours

Future Cities Catapult, London, One Sekforde Street, London, EC1R 0BE

Free for all

About the event

The UK spectrum auction for 3.4GHz has already been labelled as 5G by the press. While the increase in spectrum provided by the auction process may delay the need to densify the networks, it ventures into spectrum which cannot provide indoor coverage from the macro network. The only promise of more spectrum is at the higher GHz frequencies, which will surely make small cells a requirement, but specifications of their use and technology for cost-effective deployment seem to continually recede as focus is maintained on the evolution of the LTE networks.

Is there sufficient impetus to overcome the barriers of planning, logistics and operational costs of a dense small cell network in the near future?

In the UK, the DCMS 5G Testbed and Trials programme has provided £25m to promote six projects across the country. Meanwhile the planned, larger scale, 5G Urban Connected Communities Project envisages holistic solutions to the design of networks, with a mix of technologies, which might include a “dense network of small cells” in dense demand areas.

As the buzz of 5G grows ever louder in our ears, what is the reality of 5G for small cell deployments in the UK?

This event is curated by the CW Small Cell Special Interest Group and delivered on behalf of UK5G.

You can follow @CambWireless on Twitter and tweet about this event using #CWSmallCell.

Agenda

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The information supplied below may be subject to change before the event.

09:00

Registration and networking

10:15

Introduction to Small Cell SIG from Bob Driver, CEO, CW (Cambridge Wireless)

10:25

Small cells for Urban Connected Communities? Trevor Gill, Telecommunications Consultant

What are the factors that have inhibited small cells in the past? Has their time come with 5G? If we need small cells, do we need to share them? How can the DCMS "Urban Connected Communities" project help us find solutions?

10:40

Laying the foundations for 5G deployment in the UK: Dr Matt Yardley, Partner, Analysys Mason

Heading off 5G deployment barriers, recommendations for industry and government. Analysys Mason will report on a study recently completed for Broadband Stakeholder Group.

11:00

Q & A

11:05

Small Cells - an operator’s perspective: David Fittall, Radio Evolution Manager at Telefónica o2 UK

11:25

Q & A

11:30

Refreshments and networking

12:00

Small Cells and Coordinated Shared Spectrum: is the UK missing out? Prof Simon Saunders, Principal, Google

12:20

Q & A

12:25

How to make massive small cell deployment compelling: Paul Senior, CEO, Dense Air

12:45

Q & A

12:50

Lunch and networking

13:50

A path to urban 5g small cells? Peter Love, Small Cells Principle Architect for Nokia Networks

This presentation outlines 2 opposing views of 5G urban (outdoor) small cells deployments and highlights some of the key attributes of making it a success

14:10

Q & A

14:15

Panel session with all speakers

14:45

End of session followed by refreshments and networking

16:00

Event closes

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Speakers

David Fittall - Radio Evolution Manager at O2 (Telefónica UK), Telefonica O2 UK

David has worked in the mobile industry for almost 20 years first with Vodafone and currently with O2. His current role is managing the Network Evolution & Customer team reporting to O2’s Head of Radio with the responsibility for radio strategy, assessing and forecasting network demand, coverage and capacity modelling, and defining and measuring customer experience and network performance KPIs.

Trevor Gill - Consultant, Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS)

Trevor Gill graduated from Cambridge University in 1977 and joined Racal Electronics to work on development of military radio systems. In 1983 he was part of the small team which helped to choose the technology of the analogue cellular network launched by Racal Vodafone in 1985. He initiated the design of the world's first GSM mobile phone before moving to Vodafone to lead development of radio planning software. In Vodafone R&D he steered the subsequent development of 3G, 4G and the beginnings of 5G technology. He was recognised as a Vodafone “Distinguished Engineer” in 2012. He is now an independent consultant and trustee of two charities which encourage young people to take up careers in engineering.

Peter Love - 4G/5G Densification Architect, Nokia

Peter has worked in the mobile communications industry for nearly 30 years, firstly at Orbitel UK and then at Nokia Networks. Peter helped developed the first 2G DCS1800 BTSs to Orange and then continued in building a viable business for network planning & optimisation services in the UK. Holding various roles over the years focusing on UK, Europe and global markets Peter is now a principle services architect in the 5G/densification area helping operators globally to make the most appropriate decisions. Until recently he held the office of chair/vice chair of the Small Cells Forum Operations group where he played a significant role for 5 years.

Simon Saunders - Director of Emerging Technology, Ofcom

Simon is a specialist in the technology of wireless communications, with a technical and commercial background derived from senior appointments in both industry (including Philips and Motorola) and academia (University of Surrey). He is an adjunct professor at Trinity College Dublin and was Access Technology Principal at Google. As co-founder and Director of Technology for independent wireless strategy advisory firm Real Wireless, he was responsible for overall technical capability and direction, providing independent wireless expertise and advice to operators, regulators, technology and law firms and wireless users. Customers included Ofcom, Cisco, European Commission, Virgin Media, TalkTalk, Inmarsat and many others. He is an author of over 150 articles, books and book chapters. He has acted as a consultant to companies including BAA, BBC, O2, Ofcom, BT, ntl, Mitsubishi and British Land and was CTO of Red-M and CEO of Cellular Design Services Ltd and has acted as an expert witness in legal proceedings in England and the US. Simon speaks and chairs a wide range of international conferences and training courses and has invented over 15 patented wireless technologies. Particular expertise includes in-building wireless systems, radiowave propagation prediction, smart antenna design and mobile system analysis. He has served on technical advisory boards of several companies, was Visiting Professor to the University of Surrey, member of the industrial advisory board at University College London, founding chairman of Small Cell Forum (formerly Femto Forum), which he chaired from 2007-12 and a member of the Ofcom Spectrum Advisory Board from 2007-14.

Paul Senior - CTO, Airspan, CEO, Dense Air

Paul Senior is Chief Strategy Officer, a co-founder of Airspan Networks, Managing Director of Airspan Spectrum Holdings and now CEO of Dense Air. At Airspan Paul is responsible for guiding the company’s technical and commercial and product evolution strategies. Part of this role involves spectrum acquisition via Airspan Spectrum Holdings, which is focused on obtaining spectrum for Airspan’s Small Cells to support Small Cells as a Service (SCaaS) offering and the Dense Air operating companies in Ireland, Belgium and Portugal. Paul is an industry veteran, with over 30 years’ experience in the radio telecommunication industry, spanning the era's of 2G, 3G and 4G deployment and the rise of mobile broadband. Next stop 5G!

Matt Yardley - Partner, Analysys Mason

Matt is a Partner at Analysys Mason, where he has worked since 1997. He has advised operators and investors on next-generation network strategies including fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) and future mobile technologies; broadcasters on content distribution using broadband networks; regulators on competitive issues in next-generation access networks and the costs of broadband universal service obligation (USO); and governments on broadband public policy and national broadband plans. Matt has led numerous projects assessing the business case for investment in fibre networks. He has also advised on financial transactions and strategy projects where FTTH has been depolyed using electricity utility infrastructure, a theme that he has been involved in since work with the European Commission (EC) on the Broadband Cost Reduction Directive in 2012. More recently, Matt led our work for the EC on costing the future connectivity needs of Europe including gigabit speeds, covering both FTTH and 5G. Matt is currently directing Analysys Mason's work for the Irish Government on its National Broadband Plan, one of the largest projects of its kind in Europe.

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SIG Champions

Simon Fletcher - CTO, Real Wireless

Simon joined Real Wireless in January 2016 as Chief Technology Officer, taking overall technical and technical strategy responsibility across the company. He has chaired various conference committees including the Cambridge Wireless Annual International Conference and is recognised as a regular speaker at industry events. He is a Small Cell SIG Champion. His long-standing association with the UK innovation eco-system through roles such as Director of mVCE and the Innovate-UK ICT-KTN brings a wealth of practical knowledge on open innovation to accelerate product and services delivery. Simon spent the past 20 years working in telecoms infrastructure systems and product development. In NEC Corporation he played a key role in the formation of Joint Ventures for development of 3G and 4G products and established a core team that developed the first-generation of technology for 4G systems culminating in a Steering Board position in the LTE SAE Trials Initiative (LSTI). In recent times he has directed projects on future cities, the application 5G and IoT in industry verticals with an event horizon towards 2030. His long participation in Common Public Radio Interface (CPRI) and then directing Real Wireless engagement in H2020 5G-NORMA, 5G-MoNArch and the 2016 NIC study on Future Comms infrastructure brings great foresight on a range of architectural evolutions underway in 5G architectures.

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Caroline Gabriel - Co-founder and Research Director, Rethink Technology Research

Caroline has been engaged in technology analysis, research and consulting for 30 years and since 2002, has been focused entirely on mobile and wireless. As co-founder and research director of Rethink Technology Research, Caroline has developed a significant research base and forecast methodology, based around deep contacts with mobile and converged operators round the world. This addresses critical issues and trends in mobile and wireless infrastructure, and particularly operator deployment intentions for 4G, 5G, small cells, Cloud-RAN and other technologies. She is also a senior contributor to Analysys Mason’s Next Generation Wireless research programme. She has led research and consulting projects with a wide range of clients, including mobile infrastructure vendors, large and start-up operators, regulators, trade bodies, government agencies and financial institutions. Her advice and forecasts have helped inform strategic decisions at a wide range of vendors, operators, start-ups and finance houses. Prior to setting up Rethink, Caroline held various executive positions at VNU Business Publishing BV, then Europe’s largest producer of technology related B2B reports and publications. She was the European content and research director, and was a member of the leadership team for VNU’s online business. She holds an MA from the University of Oxford.

Neil Piercy - VP Engineering, ip.access

Neil has been developing base stations for various communications systems for over 25 years, during which time he has performed roles throughout the whole development lifecycle as well as management roles. He joined ip.access as a small cell System Architect when the company was in its infancy in 2000, and has since designed GSM, UMTS and LTE small cell RAN equipment and systems. His specialist areas include security and networking, as well as a focus on all aspects of protocol design and implementation, and on system performance and simulation. Now as Head of Research he is responsible for ip.access future products and technologies. He is an active member of the Small Cell Forum, a Champion for their work on the Virtualisation of small cells. He is currently a representative for the EU project SESAME on the 5GPPP Architecture group.

Simon Saunders - Director of Emerging Technology, Ofcom

Simon is a specialist in the technology of wireless communications, with a technical and commercial background derived from senior appointments in both industry (including Philips and Motorola) and academia (University of Surrey). He is an adjunct professor at Trinity College Dublin and was Access Technology Principal at Google. As co-founder and Director of Technology for independent wireless strategy advisory firm Real Wireless, he was responsible for overall technical capability and direction, providing independent wireless expertise and advice to operators, regulators, technology and law firms and wireless users. Customers included Ofcom, Cisco, European Commission, Virgin Media, TalkTalk, Inmarsat and many others. He is an author of over 150 articles, books and book chapters. He has acted as a consultant to companies including BAA, BBC, O2, Ofcom, BT, ntl, Mitsubishi and British Land and was CTO of Red-M and CEO of Cellular Design Services Ltd and has acted as an expert witness in legal proceedings in England and the US. Simon speaks and chairs a wide range of international conferences and training courses and has invented over 15 patented wireless technologies. Particular expertise includes in-building wireless systems, radiowave propagation prediction, smart antenna design and mobile system analysis. He has served on technical advisory boards of several companies, was Visiting Professor to the University of Surrey, member of the industrial advisory board at University College London, founding chairman of Small Cell Forum (formerly Femto Forum), which he chaired from 2007-12 and a member of the Ofcom Spectrum Advisory Board from 2007-14.

Event Location

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Location info

Future Cities Catapult, London, One Sekforde Street, London, EC1R 0BE

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Related resources

Small cells for Urban Connected Communities?
Presented by Trevor Gill, Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) at Mass network densification for 5G – is the UK ready?
Laying the foundations for 5G deployment in the UK
Presented by Matt Yardley, Analysys Mason at Mass network densification for 5G – is the UK ready?
Small Cells - an operator’s perspective
Presented by David Fittall, Telefonica O2 UK at Mass network densification for 5G – is the UK ready?
A path to urban 5g small cells?
Presented by Peter Love , Nokia at Mass network densification for 5G – is the UK ready?

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