The Perfect Union: 5G and Small Cells

With ultra-high-speed mobile broadband and extremely low latency, 5G promises to change the way we live and work by enabling several pathbreaking enterprise and personal use cases. Remote surgeries, smart cities, connected cars, industrial Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR) are just some of the use cases of 5G.

To realize the incredible potential of 5G, service providers need to modernize their networks using ultra-densification of Radio Access Networks (RAN) with small cells, large unused bandwidth of millimeter Wave (mmWave), and advanced technologies such as beamforming.

Today's macro-based cell networks will evolve into dense and ultra-dense heterogeneous networks comprising thousands of small cells. The potential deployment sites can range from streetlights, traffic lights, utility poles, and even dust bins.

Even so, small cells come with several deployment challenges. When communications service providers (CSPs) utilized proven approaches, they are better positioned to leverage small cells' potential to ensure a seamless 5G network.

This article discusses and shares deep insights into the challenges and opportunities of small cell deployments.