The small cell market is not going to explode as...
The small cell market is not going to explode as many are predicting, Infonetics Research said Friday following an industry survey. The survey said 73 percent of responding operators have already deployed small cells, particularly femtocells used in homes and…
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enterprises. But 80 percent of operators currently use distributed antennas (DAS) in their cellular networks for coverage optimization, Infonetics Research said. “The reality is ... a majority of operators are still using [DAS] in their mobile networks for coverage, and despite all the talk about using small cells to boost capacity in large venues, operators we interviewed believe DAS will remain a fundamental tool for malls, airports, stadiums and the like,” Infonetics Research analyst Stéphane Téral said. Small cells will be important in 3G and 4G network expansion, but operators will pick the right tool for their needs -- and small cells will not always be the right solution, Infonetics Research said. “The bottom line is, small cells -- I'm not talking about residential femtocells here -- remain a tiny market compared to macrocells, and will take time to reach meaningful penetration,” Téral said. Infonetics Research interviewed independent wireless, incumbent and competitive operators in the Americas, Europe and Asia for the survey (http://xrl.us/bnyt3n).