Connecting the unconnected – a qualitative analysis of using small cells to extend coverage in rural and remote locations

In many rural and remote locations worldwide, the high cost of traditional macrocells outweighs the small subscriber numbers they extend service too. The lower cost and more rapid deployment of small cells compared with macrocells promise to provide a better cost per subscriber and positive business case in rural areas. However, does this map to how populations are distributed in reality? This talk will review the business drivers for rural small cells and include an analysis of providing coverage to real population distributions worldwide and the potential extension to coverage that small cells could bring.