Heterogeneous networks - meeting mobile broadband expectations with maximum efficiency

As the Networked Society takes shape, providing the right user experience is a top priority for operators. Bandwidth-hungry applications common on smartphones, tablets and other connected devices are driving figures for data traffic sky high. The opportunity for operators arises from people, business and society depending on their devices, mobile broadband access and high-performance networks. Heterogeneous networks, commonly known as hetnets, and efforts to improve and densify existing mobile broadband infrastructure together with added small cells are important when meeting ever-increasing user expectations.

Users are increasingly aware of the connection speed, data rate, coverage and availability of their mobile broadband services. To ensure that subscribers remain satisfied, operators must deliver a consistent, high-quality and seamless mobile broadband experience that meets or exceeds user expectations.

To provide the right mobile broadband experience, networks need sufficient capacity and coverage to deliver high data throughput with very low latency. Heterogeneous networks, commonly referred to as hetnets, in which small cells complement macro cells, can help meet this need.

How, when and where operators migrate to heterogeneous networks (hetnets) will be dictated by their mobile broadband services and their existing networks, as well as broader market, technical and economic considerations. One size does not fit all, and flexibility is needed to ensure that customer expectations are met in the most cost-effective, spectral-efficient and future-proof way.