Network planning key to small cells- HetNet Happenings Episode 29

This week on HetNet Happenings, host Sean Kinney, managing editor at RCR Wireless News, discusses network planning and optimization solutions with Yann Le Helloco, CTO for software provider InfoVista.

Paris-based Le Helloco serves as both the CTO and SVP of research and development for InfoVista and oversees the development of the network planning and service assurance products; his primary purview is technical innovation. Prior to joining InfoVista, Le Helloco served in a comparable position for Mentum.

Le Helloco goes in depth into why successful deployments are the product of robust planning and coordination efforts, as well as how planning and optimization solutions allow service providers to maximize both benefit to the end user and return on investment.

Le Helloco also takes a long term look at how small cells will figure into the evolving telecommunications landscape.

“There are different ways to bring capacity,” Le Helloco said. “One way is to get more spectrum. We can use more antennas to leverage various capabilities. Whether its to bring capacity, or to fill a coverage hole or to bring coverage inside buildings, there’s no way to avoid going to small cell. … Deploying small cells is not easy. Typically small cells are deployed within the same band as macro cells so you have interference.”

Le Helloco said if interference isn’t properly managed, small cells can actually negatively impact the overall network.

At the top of the show, Kinney covers a number of news items including Sprint’s LTE initiative that will bring hundreds of new jobs to Chicago, as well as Apple partnering with Cisco Systems to optimize iOS for the enterprise space.