On the role of infrastructure sharing for mobile network operators in emerging markets

Abstract

The traditional model of single ownership of all the physical network elements and network layers by mobile network operators is beginning to be challenged. This has been attributed to the rapid and complex technology migration compounded with rigorous regulatory requirements and ever increasing capital expenditures. These trends, combined together with the increasing competition, rapid commoditization of telecommunication equipments and rising separation of network and service provisioning are pushing the operators to adopt multiple strategies, with network infrastructure sharing in the core and radio access networks emerging as a more radical mechanism to substantially and sustainably improve network costs. Through infrastructure sharing, developing countries and other emerging economies can harness the technological, market and regulatory developments that have fostered affordable access to mobile and broadband services. Similarly, the network operators entering or consolidating in the emerging markets can aim for substantial savings on capital and operating expenses. The present paper aims to investigate the current technological solutions and regulatory and the technical-economical dimensions in connection with the sharing of mobile telecommunication networks in emerging countries. We analyze the estimated savings on capital and operating expenses, while assessing the technical constraints, applicability and benefits of the network sharing solutions in an emerging market context. Keywords : -Infrastructure sharing, mobile network sharing, RAN sharing, passive sharing, active sharing, network management, emerging markets.less populated or marginalized areas. In the emerging market context, both in urban and rural areas infrastructure sharing should be adopted as an imperative for sustained telecom growth. Mobile infrastructure sharing may also stimulate the migration to new technologies and the deployment of mobile broadband, which is increasingly seen as a viable means of making broadband services accessible for a larger part of the world population [13]. Mobile sharing may also enhance competition between mobile operators and service providers, at least where certain safeguards are used, without which concerns of anticompetitive behaviour could arise. Ultimately, mobile network sharing can play an important role in increasing access to information and communication technologies (ICTs), generating economic growth, improving quality of life and helping developing and developed countries to meet the objectives established by the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) and the Millennium Development Goals established by the United Nations [20]. Different forms of infrastructure sharing are possible, ranging from basic unbundling and national roaming, to advanced forms like collocation and spectrum sharing. In the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region, National roaming is used extensively in countries like Jordan, Morocco, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Unbundling is now starting to...

Perspectives for resource sharing in 5G networks

“…than deploying a new base station. Following [41,42] various types of sharing can be identified, e.g. mast sharing, site sharing, radio-access-network sharing, network roaming and core-network sharing.…”

Cooperative Infrastructure and Spectrum Sharing in Heterogeneous Mobile Networks

“…Network sharing can encompass different parts of the network architecture in addition to having different geographical footprints [8,9]. Passive sharing (site and mast sharing), the most commonplace sharing alternative, is either mandated (or strongly encouraged) by regulators or voluntary adopted given the limited site availability, urban planning constraints and communities aesthetics and health concerns [9]- [11].…”

On Optimal Infrastructure Sharing Strategies in Mobile Radio Networks

“…The cost incurred by MNO i in area a, represented by non-389 negative continuous variable c a i , is a linear function of the 390 number of BSs activated in a by the coalition to which i is 391 6 The price per unit of service (δ) represents the highest price all current users of each MNO are willing to pay for the new service. Therefore the number of users N is assumed independent of δ.…”

“…As for the investment cost and revenues for the MNOs, it is 381 reasonable to model the revenue 6 per MNO i in area a 382 as a continuous non-negative variable r a i which is linearly 383 dependent on the MNO's user rate q a i in that area as shown 384 in (11): δq a i is the monthly revenue obtained from one user, 385 which is then multiplied by the investment lifetime D and the 386 number of users σ i N a of MNO i in area a:…”

“…The 279 investment costs are then calculated over the whole D period. 280 Both capital (e.g., site and BS acquisition) and operational 281 (e.g., hardware and software maintenance, land renting and 282 power supply) expenditures contribute to the overall costs of 283 the infrastructure [6].…”