The network will consist of 1050 small cell sites, enabling a transit capacity of 0.012 GkM (Gbps/Km2/MHz) across 23 partitions and 250 polygons.
To put this into perspective, the Small Cell Forum anticipates a demand of 0.01 GkM for urban peak data density in London, but according to Mobile-Experts.Net, this demand has already reached 0.015-0.02 GkM for some hotspots in London.
The network will use CCS’s self-organising small cell wireless backhaul system, Metnet, which the company claims to be quick to deploy and easily scaled at low cost. It also states that Metnet delivers reliable high performance that dynamically adapts to capacity demands and optimises spectrum usage.
Luminet will address the issues of site acquisition and planning approvals, which often hinder small cell deployments. The company already has more than 1,900 sites in London via its fixed wireless access infrastructure. Luminet also has two clean 112 MHz frequency channels at 28GHz for the M25 region, which will be used by the CCS Metnet system.
In addition, Luminet has integrated its 3D mapping and site database into the CCS Metnet planning tool, which will simplify the design and planning stage of each London small cell deployment. The 3D map data provided by Luminet will identify demand hotspots in the capital for on-net delivery and is said to be highly accurate, with a resolution of less than one metre, allowing for reliable one-by-one or mass predictions without the need for physical site surveys.
“The combination of Luminet’s sites and spectrum assets with our self-organising wireless backhaul is a catalyst for improving mobile services across London,” said Steve Greaves, CEO at CCS. “Our flexible mesh architecture enables us to automatically adjust the backhaul topology and assign capacity to wherever mobile operators decide to roll out small cells using Luminet sites. This partnership will simplify and reduce the cost of operators’ small cell deployments considerably.”
A Metnet node
“Our partnership with CCS will see one of the first self organising networks in a Tier One global city, and by adopting a neutral host strategy we are enabling how mobile operators can scale with the ongoing increase in mobile data demand in urban areas,” said Sasha Williamson, CEO, Luminet.
