Where can metro cells enhance mobile networks?

I blogged recently about Alcatel-Lucent metro cells and how they’re providing a solution to the massive increases in demand for mobile capacity and coverage. Well now that it’s been established that small cell technology is essential to the future of mobile networks – 98 per cent of mobile operators say so in fact – the next step is knowing where to site small and metro cells for to ensure maximum effectiveness.

Metro cells are small, inconspicuous base stations that can be mounted on lampposts and the sides of buildings to bring additional capacity and coverage wherever mobile users want it. This can be in busy public hotspots such as shopping malls, airports, hotels and the like which suffer from poor connectivity, or even rural locations like national parks that are infamous for poor coverage. We created the below infographic on ‘where to site metro cells’ for Alcatel-Lucent’s Wilson Street site as the latest step in their small cells market education campaign. As recent sales figures indicate, it’s one that is gathering momentum.