Cellular coverage
“Often, the most productive and
quickest way to get things done is
to get everyone together”
with local authorities, the real estate industry and MNOs. My
experience of 20 years’ working in mobile network operators is
that we have struggled to find a supply chain that could collaborate
across all these parties. Local authorities and businesses want better
connectivity. MNOs want more capacity. If you can bring them
together and everyone contributes, then that can bring value to all.”
Technical expertise
The second dierence, according to Frumkin, “is the very high level
of technical expertise” the company has in-house. The Freshwave
Group is made up of three companies: iWireless Solutions;
StrattoOpencell; and Spyder Facilities.
iWireless Solutions designs, deploys, operates and maintains
networks in densely populated areas. It deploys multi-operator,
multi-technology, 5G-ready infrastructure to enable wireless
connectivity (5G, 4G, IoT, Wi-Fi).
StrattoOpencell is an indoor mobile signal service provider. It
designs and implements 3G/4G indoor coverage services backed up
by a 24/7 monitoring platform and a specialist engineering team. Like
a utility, it bills customers on a monthly basis.
Spyder Facilities works with property owners and network
operators to provide rooftop and ground-based mast solutions.
It oers all wireless technologies including mobile, Wi-Fi, mobile
broadband and microwave links.
“Our third main dierence is the resource of our shareholder,”
continues Frumkin. “We can access significant capital from Digital
Bridge and Digital Colony.” Digital Colony is a global investment
firm specialising in digital infrastructure. Digital Bridge is the US
equivalent of the Freshwave Group in the UK.
Frumkin boils down the key challenges in the connectivity space
as being speed and cost. How to speed up the deployment process,
how to reduce the cost of implementation, and how to keep bills
at a sensible price that customers are happy to pay. But there are
considerable obstacles still.
“The planning environment is challenging, site acquisition
is dicult and the relationships between landowners and site
providers are historically not great,” observes Frumkin. “This can be
improved, but it requires the right mindset. Central government and
local authorities can help, and the latter are very keen to encourage
deployment of mobile infrastructure.”
Collaborative effort
“There is a win-win-win across the multiple stakeholders in this
ecosystem, but the aggressive, self-interested approach of the
past is not the way to do it,” Frumkin says firmly. “Often, the most
productive and quickest way to get things done is to get everyone
together, understand what they want to achieve, and come up with
a solution that meets everyone’s requirements.”
In this spirit, Frumkin adds that the three Freshwave companies
are increasingly working together as one team. “There are a lot
of scenarios where both an indoor and an outdoor
solution is required, as the same stakeholder needs
both coverage solutions.”
At its simplest, Freshwave will put in a small cell
system for a tenant on one or two floors. “For bigger
transactions we deal with the developer even during
the construction phase and then with the tenants
afterwards. Everyone contributes to the commercial
model based on the benefit they get. There are a lot
of commercial permutations where the owner, the
management company and the tenant might pay,”
explains Frumkin.
He says that a very high proportion of businesses
are prepared to invest in a coverage solution, and they
want a multi-operator/neutral host solution. “Even a
large corporate with a deal with one MNO still wants a
multi-operator solution, as many sta bring in their own
devices. They also want to provide visitors, cleaners and
contractors with connectivity and so on.”
In general, the Freshwave Group will invest in the
solution, designing and implementing the system and
then owning and operating the infrastructure. It deals
with the MNOs and looks after the handback of the
transmissions to the MNOs’ radio access networks.
Having good relationships with the UK’s four MNOs is a
key part of its oering.
Outdoor solutions
When it comes to outdoor coverage solutions, the
mobile network operators are the customer. Frumkin
says that ideally, if the same infrastructure can be shared
between all four operators then the economics are
better for everyone.
“There has not been much outdoor small cell
implementation yet, because the MNOs hold the
majority of the licensed spectrum, but as 5G comes
in, outdoor small cell deployment will be very
important,” says Frumkin. “At the moment, 4G is the
key technology and we think enhancing outdoor 4G
coverage is a very relevant goal, but we will futureproof
our sites to ensure they are 5G-ready.”
The Freshwave Group is not looking to solve rural
mobile connectivity issues, but Frumkin reveals that it is
trialling a proof of concept that could be used in rural
areas at the moment. “It is quite niche, but interesting.
We are looking at a private LTE model in very remote
places where the operators are unlikely to deploy their
networks. That allows us to provide coverage in places
like caravan parks. But we are not looking to compete
with the MNOs. We focus on specific mobile access
challenges for businesses and MNOs.”
If the Freshwave Group is successful, we might
finally see the indoor and outdoor mobile coverage
logjam begin to move. “We believe it is a really exciting
opportunity, and all the people in the business feel this
opportunity,” says Frumkin.
Twitter:@Land_Mobile | www.landmobile.co.uk | February 2020 17
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