Alcatel-Lucent paves the way for accelerated wireless small cell adoption by launching site certification program

Small Cells Americas, Dallas, December 3, 2013 – Alcatel-Lucent (Euronext Paris and NYSE: ALU) has launched a major new initiative, the Metro Cell Express Site Certification Program, to remove the challenges associated with site acquisition and backhaul for metro cell deployments.

Alcatel-Lucent sees small and metro cells as key to enabling mobile operators address the demand on network capacity caused by the huge growth of both devices like smartphones as well as bandwidth-hungry data services such as video communication and social media.

Inaugural members of the Metro Cell Express Site Certification Program will include cable operators (MSOs) in the United States, a leading player in the global outdoor advertising market, systems integrators, managed services providers, site acquisition specialty firms and OSP Construction Specialists including Crown Castle, EdgeConneX, Knight Enterprises and Zayo, each bringing unique real estate assets, deployment capabilities and  technical expertise.

As it focuses on Ultra-Broadband Access as part of its specialist repositioning under The Shift Plan, Alcatel-Lucent is helping these companies rapidly integrate small cells into their access infrastructure. The technology to install and manage small cells is well tested. However one major hurdle to widespread adoption is gaining physical access to the various types of places needed for deployment, including light posts, bus stops, existing cable and right of way utility assets, buildings, and other street furniture

Mobile operators will be able to select Alcatel-Lucent certified program members to speed installation of metro cells while addressing key strategic needs such as real-estate, increased network capacity, ongoing break-fix and asset management.

Alcatel-Lucent and certified program members will offer the right expertise to address metro cell deployment challenges for operators. Thousands of sites are readily available for mobile operators to mount metro cells with the potential to quickly scale up to meet the growth and capacity needs of carriers nationally. Program members would bring the ability to cover tens of thousands of locations leveraging ALU’s small cell portfolio and additional opportunities for pole and building attachment in large-scale.

Key facts:

• With its initial program members operators will gain access to more than 600,000 qualified sites including:
  • Over 150,000 serviceable on-net buildings
  • 325,000 street assets including outdoor advertising assets
  • 30,000 roof tops
  • 10,000 fiber to the building assets
  • Dense aerial physical plant and fiber assets for backhaul
  • Public utility right of way access addressing vast urban US market coverage
  • Existing experience in indoor, and outdoor backhaul construction and operation
  • Over 200,000 route miles of fiber in primary  urban and suburban markets across the US
  • Deep referencable experience in providing carrier and backhaul services nationally
• Alcatel-Lucent is a specialist in Ultra-Broadband Access and is continuing to extend its industry leadership in small cells, with more than 60 commercial deployments, in 43 countries.
• 56 percent of operators rated site acquisition as a key barrier to outdoor small cell deployment, according to Infonetics’ October 2013 Small Cell Coverage Strategies: Global Service Provider Survey

Quote: 

Michael J. Schabel, Vice President, Small Cells, Alcatel-Lucent  “Wireless operators have embraced small cells as an essential part of their ultra-broadband wireless network, but they must adapt to the new challenges associated with building, operating, and maintaining these new small cell networks. In order to accelerate and simplify the deployment of small cell networks, we have solicited the help from companies who have assets to contribute to the solution. While no company alone can address the 4P’s necessary for small cell deployment –people, power, poles and ports — the group working together creates tens of thousands of qualified and available small cell sites, and we will further add to that by continuing to add members to this program.”

For more information on the Metro Cell Express Site Certification Program visit: www.alcatel-lucent.com/solutions/lightradio-metro-cell-express/certification-program