As you can imagine, the Small Cell Forum receives many invitations to provide speakers and attendees at numerous telecoms-related events around the world. But when we were invited to provide a key speaker at The European Spectrum Management Conference – and to our offer members a discount to attend – we saw this as a key opportunity to discuss a range of issues key to our membership.
It’s true that The European Spectrum Management Conference – taking place from 19-20 June in Brussels – is the most important spectrum event in Europe. But with WRC-19 less than 18 months away, and adoption of the Electronic Communications Code imminent, it takes on an even greater significance in 2018. Key regulatory, investment and spectrum concerns are high on the agenda as we prepare for the large-scale rollout of 5G networks. In particular the Electronic Communications Code will offer a clearer definition of small cells, their role and regulation as this 5G future approaches.
That is important for the Small Cell Forum. But it is important for the wider world too, because 5G can and will involve new approaches to network architecture that require small cells, with all that implies for backhaul, fronthaul, power and rollout costs. It will also involve greater expectations for network capacity, coverage and speed, implying hyperdense, small cell-reliant networks. It will involve new, small cell-supported business models, from massive IoT to network slicing. And finally, 5G will mean new needs for (and uses or applications of) spectrum through CBRS, LAA, MulteFire, mmWave and more – and small cells will help to make this happen too.
Small cells, in short, are an intrinsic part of the 5G spectrum story. In fact, Mirela Doicu, the Chairperson of our Policy Working Group, an industry leader with a strong regulatory background (she chairs the Forum’s Regulatory working group and is on the Global Government Relations team of the Nokia group) will be representing the Forum at the conference as part of a panel called Achieving the densification of networks – Reducing the regulatory hurdles to the roll-out of 5G in urban areas. She will be taking part in an event that has attracted some of the European mobile industry’s biggest vendor, regulatory and industry association names – including Ericsson, Ofcom, the European Parliament, Deutsche Telecom, the GSMA and, of course, ourselves.
And by ‘ourselves’, we mean as many of our members as can attend. This event will influence and help to define a European regulatory environment that will affect how and when small cells are deployed as 5G rolls out. We are already raising awareness of the need for regulation and spectrum allocation to ensure that small cells most effectively benefit communications indoor and out of doors, in densely populated urban settings as well as in sparsely populated remote areas. Making our collective voice heard at this event will benefit all our members, and the diverse governments, end users and enterprises that will all, directly or indirectly, be affected by 5G, small cells and the spectrum issues that arise from both.
We look forward to seeing you at The 13th Annual European Spectrum Management Conference.
To find out more click here.
As event partners, we are pleased to offer a 10% discount on registration to all members. To take advantage of this discount, please refer to the landing page of the Members’ site