Connectivity for people and places
Small Cell Forum (SCF) brings together the organizations shaping the future of mobile connectivity
Whether you’re a neutral host provider, mobile network operator, technology vendor, systems integrator, hyperscaler, or infrastructure provider, join us in shaping industry standards, influencing regulation, forging strategic partnerships, and accelerating commercial deployment.
Our work areas
Enabling an open, multivendor technology platform, from standards such as 5G FAPI to interoperability and shared infrastructure, to lower the barriers to network densification.
Developing best-practice regulatory frameworks that cut fragmented approvals and speed up the rollout of shared, multi-operator infrastructure.
Bringing the mobile industry and local authorities together to improve connectivity in towns and cities, with practical guidance and resources.
Model the transport bandwidth needed for disaggregated RAN deployments with DARTs, our free online calculator.
What our members say
“Participation in SCF has facilitated our deeper engagement in the technical and regulatory aspects of small cell development. Additionally, we have identified collaboration opportunities with small cell industrial partners.”
Dr Khalid Al Mashouq, Chief Technology Officer, ACES
What our members say
“We find great value from participation in the Small Cell Forum. The SCF develops important technical specifications and supports marketing and regulatory work. The 5G FAPI specifications from SCF provide the industry standard 5G PHY/MAC interface, allowing easier implementation of Open RAN solutions for a wide range of base station categories.”
Jack Nasielski, Senior Director, Qualcomm Standards, Qualcomm Technologies Inc.
Accelerating mobile connectivity
SCWS brings the wireless ecosystem together to connect stakeholders, shape smarter deployment and accelerate scalable, sustainable mobile connectivity for people and places.
Find out more (opens in a new tab)
Read our latest documents
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SCF Market forecast report
This year’s SCF market forecast report reflects some important trends in the industry. A return to cautious optimism after two years when we reduced our deployments outlook amid telecoms industry…
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Stadium and sports venue connectivity
This paper examines the critical role of 5G and indoor wireless solutions in enabling next-generation entertainment venues – delivering both immersive experiences for fans and intelligent tools for venue management…
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Small cells for the Indian mobile market: A towerless telecom technology
To drive awareness of the benefits of small cells among policy makers, with a view to lowering barriers to deployment, SCF has produced a guide called ‘Small Cells for the…
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Small cells and non-terrestrial networks
SCF has undertaken a work item to explore the unexpected, yet significant, intersections between small cells (SCs) and small cell networks (SCNs) and non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), particularly satellite networks. The report…
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Small cell and non-terrestrial networks – scoping
Small Cell Forum (SCF) has undertaken a work item to explore the unexpected, yet significant, intersections between small cells (SCs) and small cell networks (SCNs) and non-terrestrial networks (NTNs), particularly…
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5G FAPI: PHY API Specification
We're delighted to share we have launched the latest update to our flagship 5G FAPI suite: 5G FAPI PHY API – 10th edition. PHY FAPI is the main API for…
View our current work program
Connecting stakeholders, optimising infrastructure
Effective, forward-looking regulation depends on policymakers understanding the socio-economic benefits of shared, multi-operator infrastructure.
Enabling smarter, more connected municipalities
Assessing the socio-economic benefits of effective communications infrastructure and enabling collaborative approaches with local authorities to support seamless deployment.
Working towards a global regulatory framework
Developing global best practice guidelines to streamline local approvals, reduce deployment delays, and support seamless network rollouts in collaboration with authorities.
5G FAPI standard
Evolving and maintaining SCF’s 5G FAPI specs suite for cost-effective, high-performance components in mobile base stations.
Products, components and solutions
Establishing standardised parameters, form factors and architectures to optimise small cell performance, while enabling seamless integration and infrastructure-sharing models between small cells and non-terrestrial networks.
Quantifying Open RAN split architectures
Using advanced modelling tools to assess split architecture performance across deployment scenarios, enabling informed technology selection and business case development.
Developing management solutions for Split-6
Advancing management and orchestration capabilities to enable efficient, scalable, and interoperable Split-6 mobile networks.
Advancing global mobile network sharing frameworks
SCF leads Phase 1 efforts to develop a global framework for MOCN, MORAN, and JOTS sharing models, helping reduce market fragmentation and enable more efficient network deployment.
Towards sustainable cellular infrastructure
Addressing sustainable mobile infrastructure, focusing on technical solutions for holistic energy consumption from edge to core.
