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This has come close on the heels of telecom companies working in the niche segments of network infrastructure, 5G<\/a> Core, 5G Radio Access Network<\/a> (RAN), Edge, and others.
Kunal Bajaj, Founder and CEO of CloudExtel<\/a> said initial trials for 5G small cells deployment have begun and the pace will pick up over the coming months as the telecom operators are initially focusing on macro layers for achieving coverage. “Small cells will follow where deeper penetration and capacity offload is required,” he added.
5G, which promises to offer up to 10 times higher speeds in comparison to 4G, requires fiberisation of towers to up to 70% from around 33% currently, and investments to densify small cells and microcells to provide quality network connectivity to customers.
The Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) provider, that works with Bharti Airtel<\/a> and Vodafone Idea<\/a>, is splurging between Rs 400 to Rs 500 crores over the next 5 years into deploying 40,000 small cell sites, up from 4,000 small cell sites that it deployed primarily for 4G.
Jio and Airtel have started the commercial roll out of their respective 5G services in the country with the launches happening in a phased manner. While Jio is using a standalone (SA) architecture, Airtel has chosen non-standalone (NSA). Both telcos have stated their plans to extend the 5G coverage across the country in a 12-15 months timeline. Vodafone Idea<\/a>, however, is yet to launch 5G services.
Asked if CloudExtel is also working with Vodafone Idea for 5G, Bajaj said, “Vodafone Idea is one of our main customers and we are definitely working with them for their plans for 5G small cell deployments.”
According to minister of state for communication Devusinh Chauhan, telecom operators are deploying 2,500 base stations on average per week for 5G. Jio and Airtel have installed 17,687 and 3,293 base stations, respectively, as on November end.
Cumulatively, the two operators have installed 20,980 base stations for 5G, according to Chauhan.
According to a joint report by EY and Digital Infrastructure Providers Association<\/a> (DIPA), outdoor small cell deployment in India is projected to reach 475,000-550,000 by 2025.
“The deployment of small cells has been a critical part of the 4G network upgrades and expansion but will become even more critical in 5G networks because of the introduction of higher spectrum bands that necessitate denser network deployments to support larger traffic volumes per unit area,” London-based telco body GSMA has said.
The government, on its part, has been undertaking efforts to make available street furniture for the deployment of small cells and aerial fiber. The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) on March 23 floated a consultation paper on the same.