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Network Sharing
‘Network sharing’ has
been one of the most frequently used buzzwords in the mobile
Industry today. Though Often used as a synonym for any strategy
aiming at cost reduction of network expenditures related
to the rollout and operation of 3G networks, It has been
used at site level during the second half of the 2G rollout,
fuelled both by the limited availability of new sites as
well as increasing environmentalist pressure on operators
and regulators.
Infrastructure sharing can be used in both the start-up
phase to build coverage quickly or, longer term, to build
more cost effective coverage in rural areas. Sharing arrangements
provide the highest savings in cases of low traffic demand
and more efficiency is achieved by pooling resources. Sharing
can be broadly classified into two groups:
- Passive Elements Sharing
- Active Elements
Passive
Elements Sharing (Site sharing)
 Passive Elements Sharing typically involves sharing
the site and mast for antenna placement. In addition to this,
the power equipment, transmission equipment and antennas
can be shared among operators. Passive Elements Sharing provides
cost savings for site acquisition, civil works, annual site
rent, transmission and operational costs for running the
site. Site acquisition and site preparation represent a large
part of the network rollout costs, about 20% of expenses.
Site Sharing can be handled on a site-by-site basis or can
be combined with a coordinated rollout plan, allowing additional
savings on network planning, civil works and operation. A
Site Sharing arrangement can be handled directly between
operators or may include a tower company or other partner.
Site Sharing is suitable for densely populated areas with
limited availability and expensive sites, and rural areas
with high costs for transmission and power. License regulators
usually promote Site Sharing in order to reduce the environmental
impact antennas have on views and to allow new operators
to build their networks by re-using existing sites.
Active Elements
Sharing
 In the case of active network sharing, two or more operators
deploy a completely shared radio network and in some case,
a partly shared Core Network. The shared radio network consists
of Radio Base Stations, Radio Network Controllers, transmission,
site etc. The part of the core network that is shared consists
of the MSC/VLR and SGSN.
Active sharing is not allowed by regulation in most of the
countries and has to be initiated amongst the operators themselves.
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