In 2025, many companies will have either transitioned to or be planning for 5G adoption. Yet, deploying 5G in dense urban environments remains a challenge, despite the clear advantages of modern telecommunication solutions.
By introducing new generations of networks, telcos can support a wide range of emerging technologies. With its almost real-time latency, the operators will be able to support the use of IoT devices, autonomous vehicles, edge computing, virtual reality, and numerous other machines and equipment.
In that regard, adopting 5G not only modernizes your operations, but it also ensures you don’t lag behind the competition. In this article, we’ll specifically focus on the 6 biggest challenges telcos are facing. We’ll also provide a few solutions that might help you address these issues.
The Innate Complexity of 5G Deployment
While 5G offers much better performance, it is also much harder to roll out compared to the previous generations. The two main things that are causing issues are:
- Different Infrastructures: The shift to 5G also signifies an infrastructural shift. Instead of using the existing cell towers, companies are forced to install new micro cell towers in urban environments. As such, operators have to incur massive costs just to perform the initial setup. There are other issues that have to be considered, such as urban regulation and its impact on citizens.
- mmWave 5G: If you wish to introduce incredibly fast mmWave 5G, you’ll have to rely on the previously mentioned towers. Unfortunately, their signal doesn’t cover as wide an area as the past generation’s infrastructure. To make matters worse, the signal is blocked by trees, buildings, and other urban obstacles. Companies are thus forced to introduce a high number of microcell towers and to test/configure each one of them.
Deploying 5G in Dense Urban Environments brings a host of unique challenges. While some can be mitigated, the impact of the deployment process is still strongly felt.
6 Challenges of 5G Deployment
Finally, here are the biggest problems telcos face during 5G deployment:
1. The Cost of Hardware
Parts used for 5G microcell towers are extremely expensive. Although these prices vary from wholesaler to wholesaler, you can expect to pay $10,000 for a micro cell and $200,000 for a macro cell.
Unfortunately, you cannot reduce the number of towers as it would affect your coverage and, therefore, the service. Therefore, the best course of action in these situations is to negotiate a favorable deal with suppliers or import parts from abroad. Another way to save some money is by using solutions such as enterprise RAN.
2. The Cost of Spectrum
Another major expense comes in the form of spectrum range. Operators spend obscene amounts of money during auctions, often incurring hundreds of billions of dollars in costs for midbands. While running a telecom business is a profitable endeavor, many experts are skeptical about the potential returns on investment.
The good news is that there are several ways you can alleviate these expenses. For example, you can optimize network usage by introducing interference management or advanced antenna systems. Alternatively, you can collaborate with regulatory agencies and competitors to change pricing structures and trade spectrum.Â
3. Site Evaluation
Deploying 5G in Dense Urban Environments demands strategic cell tower positioning to control costs. Engineers and technicians must analyze city maps to identify optimal base station locations. While assessing coverage, they should also account for surrounding obstacles that may interfere with signal strength and reliability.
It is one of those processes you shouldn’t skim on, so make sure to hire the best veterans who have worked on similar projects. They must take into account zoning regulations, land availability, environmental considerations, and the layout of existing towers to optimize placement.
4. Governmental Permissions
Operators are struggling with numerous bureaucratic hurdles when deploying modern telecommunication solutions. Given that the towers must be deployed on bridges, buildings, and street lamps, regulators must have full oversight of your operations. Among other things, local government representatives must know how these towers will affect the local populace.
The best way to streamline the process is through standardisation. You must simplify your daily workflow by eliminating unnecessary steps as well as back-and-forth between teams. Telcos must also introduce proactive communication with local representatives and hire agents to assist them.
5. Asset Management
Deploying 5G in Dense Urban Environments requires operators to manage a wide range of field equipment. In addition to installing towers and hardware, telcos must ensure continuous tracking, maintenance, and upgrades. The challenge intensifies as much of the infrastructure is located in hard-to-access areas, increasing the risk of accidental damage and theft.
One of the ways to enhance asset management is by using smart solutions. Companies must spend additional money on software and hardware so they can keep track of their properties. Although this means another hefty investment, it will pay off in the end.
6. Lack of Skilled Staff
Whether we’re talking about the US or other Western countries, the cost of skilled manual labor has increased exponentially in the recent decade. This is especially true for electricians and various technicians. The prices are driven by the lack of skilled staff, as many people are unwilling to do these dangerous jobs.
The problem is especially noticeable in underdeveloped countries that lack 5G technicians. In these cases, telcos have to import workers from abroad and secure licenses and paperwork. It is one of those issues that can only be addressed through price negotiations and hiring people from lower-paid countries.
Addressing the Biggest 5G Challenges
For many businesses, 5G sounds like a dream come true. It enables enterprises to use all sorts of smart devices and sophisticated automation. Unfortunately, operators have a completely different perspective on the matter. Deploying 5G in Dense Urban Environments means incurring massive expenses for introducing new infrastructure and gaining the necessary permits.
Many of these costs can be reduced through smart negotiating. You should also consider using advanced management software that will help you keep track of different phases of adoption.
