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Wireless spectrum driving new design approaches
Brian Fuller
11/9/2012 10:45 AM EST
HetNets
Consumer demand is creating the need, Gorenberg said, adding, "I do believe there is a spectrum crunch. It's due to this wonderful situation where demand is growing off the hook because...we're becoming a mobile-first society."
This is forcing technologists to think more holistically about bandwidth and how to allocate services.
"You're seeing the LTE camp [emerging] but by the way you're seeing tremendous offloading onto Wi-Fi, which is what's keeping up" with demand at the moment, he said.
Gorenberg said a combination of macro cells and micro cells will also contribute to meeting demand. He referenced this week's announcement that AT&T plans to spend $8 billion to update its 4G LTE wireless network.
The deal "included 10,000 macro cells and 40,000 small cells," Gorenberg said.
Two-pronged approach
"We'll see HetNets, carrier-driven LTE-based macro and small cells all working together," Gorenberg said.
And you're going to see the idea of more open sharing, like the spectrum access system, he added.
He noted that it's not just a challenge in the United States: The European Union is examining the notion of sharing not only federal bands but commercials bands.
The Federal Communications Commission has paved the way for voluntary incentive auctions in 2014, in which broadcasters could choose to sell their spectrum. The incentive auctions are intended to free 300 MHz of spectrum by 2015 and 500 MHz by 2020.
Related stories:
-- AT&T investing $14 billion to beef up networks
--The realities of spectrum—Challenges, regulation, T&M and exploratory band searching
Consumer demand is creating the need, Gorenberg said, adding, "I do believe there is a spectrum crunch. It's due to this wonderful situation where demand is growing off the hook because...we're becoming a mobile-first society."
This is forcing technologists to think more holistically about bandwidth and how to allocate services.
"You're seeing the LTE camp [emerging] but by the way you're seeing tremendous offloading onto Wi-Fi, which is what's keeping up" with demand at the moment, he said.
Gorenberg said a combination of macro cells and micro cells will also contribute to meeting demand. He referenced this week's announcement that AT&T plans to spend $8 billion to update its 4G LTE wireless network.
The deal "included 10,000 macro cells and 40,000 small cells," Gorenberg said.
Two-pronged approach
"We'll see HetNets, carrier-driven LTE-based macro and small cells all working together," Gorenberg said.
And you're going to see the idea of more open sharing, like the spectrum access system, he added.
He noted that it's not just a challenge in the United States: The European Union is examining the notion of sharing not only federal bands but commercials bands.
The Federal Communications Commission has paved the way for voluntary incentive auctions in 2014, in which broadcasters could choose to sell their spectrum. The incentive auctions are intended to free 300 MHz of spectrum by 2015 and 500 MHz by 2020.
Related stories:
-- AT&T investing $14 billion to beef up networks
--The realities of spectrum—Challenges, regulation, T&M and exploratory band searching
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