AUSTIN, TX--(Marketwired - Jun 24, 2014) - Small cells and heterogeneous networks are a common topic of discussion in the wireless and mobile industry, as small cells are being deployed to provide additional coverage and capacity in order to meet the rising demand for mobile data. iGR's latest market study explores the various types of backhaul being considered for LTE small cell deployments and it also forecasts that the backhaul for these deployments in the North American market will grow at a CAGR of 166 percent over the next five years.
Because small cell deployments vary so greatly in location, there is no single solution for their backhaul. In order to choose a backhaul method for a small cell deployment, mobile operators must go through a decision process that weighs current need (coverage versus capacity and the bandwidth requirements) against initial cost, total cost of ownership, payback period and future scalability.
The main advantages for wired backhaul, fiber in particular, are: high throughput, low latency and substantial throughput scaling over time. But there are two significant challenges with fiber: it is not always where it is needed and it is relatively expensive to deploy. However, once fiber is in place, the incremental cost of adding new capacity is low. On the other hand, the main advantages for wireless backhaul, as compared to fiber, are: lower cost, faster (and easier) deployment and sufficiently scalable throughput (depending on the use case and technology chosen).
"LTE small cell deployments are expected to grow at a very high rate over the next five years," said Iain Gillott, president and founder of iGR, a market research consultancy focused on the wireless and mobile industry. "And for each small cell deployment, mobile operators will need to choose the best backhaul for that specific deployment."
iGR's new market study North American Backhaul Forecast for LTE Small Cells, 2013 - 2018 discusses the wireless and wired backhaul technologies available and the main market drivers for each type of backhaul to support small cells. It also presents iGR's North American forecast for wired and wireless backhaul to support LTE small cell deployments over the next five years.
The following key questions are addressed in the new market study:
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What is the anticipated growth of backhaul used to support LTE small cells in North America through 2018?
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How do the major mobile operators view wired and wireless backhaul?
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What are the major concerns of the mobile operators with regard to each type of backhaul and how can these concerns be addressed?
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What is the role for wired and wireless backhaul in small cell architectures?
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How is wired and wireless backhaul deployed?
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How do PTP, PMP, NLOS, millimeter wave and traditional microwave solutions differ?
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How do fiber (point to point and passive), VDSL2 and coaxial (hybrid fiber coax) differ?
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How does wireless backhaul compare to fiber backhaul?