Small cells provide improved cellular experience in congested urban areas and in areas just outside the cell phone tower or even in areas that have absolutely zero cell phone reception. In most cases only AT&T & Verizon offer small cells that can be added to a Distributed antenna system however T-mobile and Sprint are currently working on small cell solutions but have not come out with proper solutions for adding on to a DAS system.

 

There are three types of small cells: femtocells, picocells and microcells.

 

Microcells are the largest and most powerful small cell. They are usually installed outdoors on traffic lights or signs, and can be used temporarily for large events. Microcells have a range of under two kilometers, whereas macrocell towers can cover up to 20 miles. Both microcells and picocells are usually installed by network operators.

 

Femtocells have the shortest range of small-cell types, and are usually deployed in homes or small businesses. These router-like devices are installed by clients and can accommodate coverage for just a few users at a time. Femtocells generally have a maximum range of less than 10 meters.

 

Picocells are usually installed in larger indoor areas like shopping malls, offices or train stations. They can support up to 100 users at a time and have a range of under 200 meters.

 

What are Small Cells?

 

Small cells

[1] are low-powered cellular radio access nodes that operate in licensed and unlicensed spectrum that have a range of 10 meters to a few kilometers. They are “small” compared to a mobile macrocell, partly because they have a shorter range and partly because they typically handle fewer concurrent calls or sessions. They make best use of available spectrum by re-using the same frequencies many times within a geographical area. Fewer new macrocell sites are being built, with larger numbers of small cells recognised[2][3][4] as an important method of increasing cellular network capacity, quality and resilience with a growing focus using LTE Advanced. You can read more about it HERE.

 

Scalability of Small Cells?

 

Small cells can be added to multiple zones of a matrix DAS system so we can stack as many small cells as needed if the ISP bandwidth is available. Yes you will need a dedicated internet connection for each small cell.  

CMC Communications services the state of Texas, San Antonio, Austin, Houston, Dallas and surrounding areas.

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