Network Sharing: Which Innovations Will Shape the Future of Network Sharing?
This report deals with the evolution of network sharing by Mobile Network Operators. Today established as a common practice, it is still differently undertaken depending on market and geography. We will thus examine what the main forms of network sharing are, how they are used and why by operators. Taking into account recent and coming technological evolutions, we’ll try to see how network sharing could evolve, what new shapes this practice could take and what the impact could be on operators’ business model from a competition point of view.
Network sharing is today a common feature in operator strategies. The main driver, obviously, is to reduce costs and increase profitability for the operator. However, because of the different ways possible of sharing elements of the network and because of both competition and regulatory constraints, the path towards cost reduction often differs from one operator to another.
Network sharing is today a common feature in operator strategies. The main driver, obviously, is to reduce costs and increase profitability for the operator. However, because of the different ways possible of sharing elements of the network and because of both competition and regulatory constraints, the path towards cost reduction often differs from one operator to another.
1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
2. METHODOLOGY & DEFINITIONS
3. NETWORK SHARING IS A REAL TREND, NOT A BUZZ
3.1. The context and short history of network sharing
3.2. The various forms of sharing
3.2.1. National roaming
3.2.2. Multi-Operator Radio Access Network
3.2.3. Multiple Operator Core Network
3.2.4. Gateway Core Network
3.3. Network-sharing technology developments
3.3.1. LTE and network sharing
3.3.2. Improvements to LTE Releases 12 and
3.3.3. Congestion management
3.3.4. Performance monitoring
3.3.5. Benefits of virtualisation to RAN sharing
4. OVERVIEW OF NETWORK-SHARING MARKET
4.1. Overview of network-sharing deals
4.1.1. What is the content of a network-sharing deal?
4.1.2. Which savings to expect?
4.1.3. Case studies
4.2. Network-sharing regulation
4.2.1. Benefits and risks of network sharing
4.2.2. Network sharing in the EU
5. THE FUTURE OF NETWORK SHARING: TOWARDS THE END OF NETWORK CENTRICITY?
5.1. Capacity needs & spectrum crunch will fuel network sharing
5.1.1. Small cell as a service
5.1.2. LTE in the unlicensed band
5.1.3. From coverage-based competition to service-based competition
5.2. New players in the sharing industry: value chain is recomposed
5.2.1. MNO & MVNO players
5.2.2. RAN-outsourcing players
5.2.3. IoT/MTC players:
5.3. Will 5G completely change the value chain?
5.3.1. Network slicing and virtualisation as a game changer
5.3.2. In-band full-duplex operation: towards more evolved spectrum sharing
5.3.3. Hybrid fixed and mobile networks: is this the future of network sharing?
2. METHODOLOGY & DEFINITIONS
3. NETWORK SHARING IS A REAL TREND, NOT A BUZZ
3.1. The context and short history of network sharing
3.2. The various forms of sharing
3.2.1. National roaming
3.2.2. Multi-Operator Radio Access Network
3.2.3. Multiple Operator Core Network
3.2.4. Gateway Core Network
3.3. Network-sharing technology developments
3.3.1. LTE and network sharing
3.3.2. Improvements to LTE Releases 12 and
3.3.3. Congestion management
3.3.4. Performance monitoring
3.3.5. Benefits of virtualisation to RAN sharing
4. OVERVIEW OF NETWORK-SHARING MARKET
4.1. Overview of network-sharing deals
4.1.1. What is the content of a network-sharing deal?
4.1.2. Which savings to expect?
4.1.3. Case studies
4.2. Network-sharing regulation
4.2.1. Benefits and risks of network sharing
4.2.2. Network sharing in the EU
5. THE FUTURE OF NETWORK SHARING: TOWARDS THE END OF NETWORK CENTRICITY?
5.1. Capacity needs & spectrum crunch will fuel network sharing
5.1.1. Small cell as a service
5.1.2. LTE in the unlicensed band
5.1.3. From coverage-based competition to service-based competition
5.2. New players in the sharing industry: value chain is recomposed
5.2.1. MNO & MVNO players
5.2.2. RAN-outsourcing players
5.2.3. IoT/MTC players:
5.3. Will 5G completely change the value chain?
5.3.1. Network slicing and virtualisation as a game changer
5.3.2. In-band full-duplex operation: towards more evolved spectrum sharing
5.3.3. Hybrid fixed and mobile networks: is this the future of network sharing?
TABLES & FIGURES
Table 1: The sharing of elements, by each network-sharing architecture
Table 2: Capex and OpEx saving resulting from network sharing
Table 3: Market share and network coverage of Belgian MNOs
Table 4: Wireless market share of Orange, by geographical scope
Table 5: Significant Orange network-sharing deals – details and impacts
Table 6: First results from the creation of NetWorkS! (as of 2014)
Table 7: Mobile operators & MVNO positioning
Table 8: RAN-outsourcing players role
Table 9: IoT/MTC players positioning
Figure 1: Passive sharing
Figure 2: MORAN scenario
Figure 3: Multiple Operator Core Network scenario
Figure 4: GWCN scenario
Figure 5: Comparison of MOCN and GWCN in LTE
Figure 6: Static reservation versus NEC Network Virtualization Substrate solution
Figure 7: Standard vs hierarchical backhaul QoS management
Figure 8: Third-party managed performance reporting
Figure 9: General presentation of a C-RAN architecture
Figure 10: Repartition of passive and active sharing deals by region
Figure 11: Evolution of network-sharing deals by nature (2009-2014)
Figure 12: MNO network-sharing deals by region (2001-2014)
Figure 13: Countries where regulatory obligations to share sites apply (2013)
Figure 14: Type of network-sharing agreements
Figure 15: Orange global view on network sharing
Figure 16: Creation of the NetWorkS! joint venture In Poland between Orange and T-Mobile
Figure 17: Mobile market shares in Sweden
Figure 18: Joint ventures between Swedish operators
Figure 19: 3G network coverage
Figure 20: Telenor results from active sharing agreements
Figure 21: ARCEP’s proposed timeline for terminating national roaming
Figure 22: Ofcom spectrum-sharing framework
Figure 23: Small cell as a service as a means of sharing small cells among carriers
Figure 24: The licensed-assisted access principles
Figure 25: Comparison between LTE-U/LAA and LWA
Figure 26: Examples of 5G network slices [NGM15]
Figure 27: Roadmap for applications leveraging self-interference cancellation
Table 1: The sharing of elements, by each network-sharing architecture
Table 2: Capex and OpEx saving resulting from network sharing
Table 3: Market share and network coverage of Belgian MNOs
Table 4: Wireless market share of Orange, by geographical scope
Table 5: Significant Orange network-sharing deals – details and impacts
Table 6: First results from the creation of NetWorkS! (as of 2014)
Table 7: Mobile operators & MVNO positioning
Table 8: RAN-outsourcing players role
Table 9: IoT/MTC players positioning
Figure 1: Passive sharing
Figure 2: MORAN scenario
Figure 3: Multiple Operator Core Network scenario
Figure 4: GWCN scenario
Figure 5: Comparison of MOCN and GWCN in LTE
Figure 6: Static reservation versus NEC Network Virtualization Substrate solution
Figure 7: Standard vs hierarchical backhaul QoS management
Figure 8: Third-party managed performance reporting
Figure 9: General presentation of a C-RAN architecture
Figure 10: Repartition of passive and active sharing deals by region
Figure 11: Evolution of network-sharing deals by nature (2009-2014)
Figure 12: MNO network-sharing deals by region (2001-2014)
Figure 13: Countries where regulatory obligations to share sites apply (2013)
Figure 14: Type of network-sharing agreements
Figure 15: Orange global view on network sharing
Figure 16: Creation of the NetWorkS! joint venture In Poland between Orange and T-Mobile
Figure 17: Mobile market shares in Sweden
Figure 18: Joint ventures between Swedish operators
Figure 19: 3G network coverage
Figure 20: Telenor results from active sharing agreements
Figure 21: ARCEP’s proposed timeline for terminating national roaming
Figure 22: Ofcom spectrum-sharing framework
Figure 23: Small cell as a service as a means of sharing small cells among carriers
Figure 24: The licensed-assisted access principles
Figure 25: Comparison between LTE-U/LAA and LWA
Figure 26: Examples of 5G network slices [NGM15]
Figure 27: Roadmap for applications leveraging self-interference cancellation
