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More data need more infrastructures

If it’s true that AI is going to permeate every corner of our lives, will the networks be able to guarantee those volumes of traffic with total ubiquity?

For years, people have been hearing that 5G is an advance over previous generations because it offers surprising speeds with less latency. As infrastructure suppliers for operators, we at Cellnex can attest to the fact that networks are being designed and implemented to offer customers greater capacity. However, densely populated areas pose a unique engineering challenge because the high concentration of users and devices may saturate the networks and affect service quality. This concentration is often predictable, and operators reinforce their networks accordingly. But are our cities prepared for this revolution? Will it by easy for those of us who supply infrastructure to access lampposts, tourist features, pergolas, bus shelters, and advertising, or even building façades, in a timely, effective way? Are municipal governments aware that their residents and visitors will not have guaranteed coverage and optimal network performance without small cells?

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We no longer have any patience when our device fails to display information instantaneously. But for this magic to happen, the signal has to be able to reach our location, not to mention the fact that we’re probably not the only ones consuming mobile traffic. All of this is capillarity: when the radio link to the antenna has a healthy enough balance to provide us with the very high speed and low latency that we expect. And at certain times of day, the “macro” stations located on building rooftops won’t be the solution. We’re going to need antennas that are closer by.

Small Cells

Small Cells are very low-power base stations that are ideal for installing in areas with limited reach. They can be installed and camouflaged on all kinds of urban furniture or private property, like the signs in front of any store. They have to have energy and fiber optic connecting them to their respective networks. And therein lies another problem: it would be ideal to install them on that lamppost in such-and-such square… they would provide perfect coverage in that area where lots of people go every day… until you discover that you’ll have to lay down meters and meters of fiber and electrical wiring on a historical stone façade, for example. We’ll have to install much more than just these antennas. And as a result, the regulations have to be amended to stipulate how to request public property, what priority criteria will be used in the case of similar requests, who may request it, what aesthetic obligations will be required, what fees will be applicable… The telecommunications infrastructure ecosystem of 2025 is not the same as it was in 1998. An excessively bureaucratic process will mean that the networks won’t be able to keep up with the speed that these same governments may be calling for.

We European countries are grappling with these network quality challenges later than the Asians and North Americans. We have usually had a stronger tradition of protecting historical heritage, which we should not give up. However, our vision is realistic. People’s data consumption is not going to stop rising, and it will increase exponentially when AI is normalized. Work in mobility and dependence on telecommunications are only going to rise. We have to find a reasonable regulatory framework that allows our engineers to design useful solutions for mobile operations that are also reasonable in terms of costs and respectful of ordinances. This new need will not be met unless we are allowed to access public property in an orderly, respectful way. This is why we are launching a call to all cities for collaboration so that our customers’ mobile networks continue to maintain the highest standards in all of Europe.

Alfonso Álvarez, CEO of Cellnex España

 

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