Small Cell Spending to Take Off

November 12, 2014

By Ernest Worthman–

Nov. 14, 2014 — Explosive mobile device use has carriers scrambling to invest in small cells and Wi-Fi hotspots, according to a report from ABI Research.

ABI predicts that equipment spending on microwave backhaul and in-building wireless will increase 40 percent and 14 percent, respectively, by the end of 2014. Much of it will be on small cell and Wi-Fi deployments or priming for such deployment.

In the same breath, cable operators want a piece of that small cell market. They are getting deeply involved in providing backhaul to small cells and connecting them to the core of the wireless network. Cable companies are in the unique position of being able to leverage their fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) investments as backhaul for small cell. For example, Time Warner Cable serves more than 10,000 cell towers and it has the outside fiber plant to tackle small cells.

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Ernest Worthman is the editor of AGL Small Cell Magazine.