Wireless is complicated involving various technologies, geographic and topographic implications, legal considerations, pricing models, all wrapped in marketing jargon that is sure to confuse. Join us for an informative webinar, aimed to give participants a more solid understanding about which wireless technologies will provide the broadband Internet your community wants and needs. Learn: The various parts of the radio spectrum are allocated and used. How your community’s topography and tree cover impacts wireless performance. About licensed and unlicensed frequencies and why that matters. About how fiber makes wireless better

1. March 12th, 2015

2. NewCore Wireless is owned mainly
by independent phone companies.
We are based in St. Cloud MN and
provide hosted switching services to
small to medium sized operators
RAN Network – over 300 hosted sites
in 11 different states
Experienced senior management
 Cellular 2000 Network – 1988-2005
• 40 sites, 40,000 subs
 Sprint Affiliate Network – 1999-2007
• 400 sites, 160,000 subs
Who is NewCore Wireless
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3. Network Elements
 NewCore owns and operates the core switching elements of
a wireless network “Cloud switching in St. Cloud”
 Our partners operate their own towers and own their own
subscribers
 Some partners use the 3G and LTE networks for fixed
broadband
 Some use 3G and LTE networks for 100% cell phone
(mobility)
 Some use as a hybrid to serve both mobility and fixed
broadband
 Other partners operate flat networks such as Motorola and
Ubiquiti and NewCore provides managed ISP services
along with Engineering to support those networks

4. Partner Spectrum
4

5. Let’s Simplify This
 Acronyms
This industry is full of them but don’t let that get you
distracted or confused
 Wireless people are usually multi-taskers, and it is easier
to use acronyms to save time.
 Ask them to explain what these mean; sometimes they
forget that not everyone talks their language.
 It’s Just Communications
 Whether it is broadband over copper, fiber to the
premise, hybrid coax or wireless, it accomplishes the
same thing - connecting people and things

6. Wireless Advantages
 Mobility
 Faster deployment compared to fiber or copper
 Lower cost – usually
 Geographic boundaries are less constrictive
 Option for licensed or unlicensed spectrum
 Ecosystem is huge for some wireless technologies

7. Important Things to Remember
 The lower the frequency, the greater distance it will travel
 Ex. 900 MHz will travel farther than 2.4 GHz
 Capacity is dictated by the amount of spectrum, the technology
used and amount of power at the radio (there are more variables,
but these are the big ones)
 Radio Frequencies are absorbed by all materials and the more
“clutter” there is, the less the radio frequencies will be able to pass
through
 Frequency Division Duplex (FDD) and Time Division Duplex
(TDD)
 FDD technology uses separate transmit and receive “paired”
frequencies for duplex transmission
 TDD technology uses a one block of spectrum for both and uses time
spacing to provide the duplex transmission

8. Impact of Terrain and Clutter on
Radio Frequencies
 Trees have a significant impact on propagation of radio
frequencies and the higher the frequency the more impact
 Buildings have a significant impact on propagation (i.e.)
steel siding, concrete) thus the reason your cell phones don’t
always work indoors
 Hilly and mountainous areas have a negative impact on
radio frequencies
 Gas-filled windows will prevent radio frequencies from
passing through

9. Types of Spectrum
 Unlicensed examples
 900 MHz, 2.4 GHz, 1900 MHz DECT
 Licensed examples
 850 MHz Cellular, 1900 MHz PCS
 11 GHz point to point
 Pseudo Licensed example
 3.65 GHz

10. Unlicensed Spectrum
 2.450 GHz
 Traditional Wi-Fi use
 Point-to-Point Microwave
 Cordless Phones
 Wireless Internet
 Many uses worldwide
 Cameras

11. Unlicensed Spectrum
 900 MHz
 Cordless Phones
 Wireless Internet
 John Deere and Case IH assisted GPS network
 SCADA or short range telemetry
 Baby Monitors
 Cameras

12. Unlicensed Spectrum
 5 GHz band
 Wireless Internet
 Point-to-Point microwave
 Traditional Wi-Fi
 Tier 1 Operators adding LTE technology

13. Licensed Spectrum – The Facts
 The FCC allocates all of the spectrum; spectrum that is
licensed is made available through auctions, lotteries, direct
assignment, registration and other means.
 Radio stations, TV stations, cellular providers all use
spectrum assigned by the FCC
 Some spectrum, such as point-to-point microwave, is not
auctioned and is obtained through registration
 The FCC started auctions after the cellular networks started
growing, realizing that significant revenue could be attained
 The most recent auction generated $41 Billion
 Smaller operators are being forced out of the licensed
spectrum opportunities

15. Technologies
 First Cellular Systems in 1980’s
 Analog technology
 One voice call used 30 KHz of spectrum
 Channelized network where different frequencies are used for
each channel or call
 Digital Technologies are deployed in the US
 CDMA technology
 1.25 MHz channel supported up to 100 calls plus data
 All sites and sectors used the same frequency
 TDMA technology
 30 KHz channel divided up into three channels
 still channelized where different sites used different channels

16. Technologies (continued)
 In most of the world outside of the US, carriers
deployed GSM for the digital standard
 200 KHz channels and 8 users per channel
 Still channelized and different sites and sectors had
different channels
 In the US, most operators that deployed TDMA,
converted to GSM by 1999

17. Technologies (continued)
 Data capabilities on wireless evolved and new technologies were added
 CDMA added EVDO
 3.1 Mbps per sector
 All sites and sectors are on the same channel
 GSM added HSPA
 14.4 Mbps per sector
 All sites and sectors are on the same channel
 WiMax and LTE were evaluated by all carriers for the next evolution of data
 LTE is selected by most major carriers as the mobile data technology of the
future

18. Scale is Critical
 Wireless technologies success are largely impacted by
the adoption rate and the ability to drive down costs by
adding scale
 Example: Wi-Fi routers are relatively low cost due to the
global scale
 GSM has global scale and that is why GSM devices are
usually lower cost than CDMA as CDMA is used only
in the US and portions of Asia
 Vendors will not produce equipment without millions
of units committed to it

19. What scale can Wireless Internet
achieve on the “low cost” spectrum
 WiMax was titled the “most disruptive technology”, but because it
wasn’t adopted by the Tier 1 carriers it has slowly started to be
replaced by other technologies
 Cost per subscriber module is very high
 Proprietary technology, such as Motorola’s or Ubiquiti’s own
technology, usually result in lower costs; the systems are not
interchangeable
 Cost per subscriber module is usually low
 LTE is now being made available on unlicensed 5 GHz bands, as
well as 3.65 GHz band
 Partner together to share knowledge and create a Buying Group

20. What is Driving Broadband Needs?
 Not long ago, entire companies operated on a 1.5 Mbps
circuit to the internet
 Streaming video has changed broadband
 Today nearly 60% of the global broadband consumption
is from one company and application - Netflix
 Non-entertainment streaming video protocols are driving
the bandwidth needs, as well
 Broadband utilization spans all generations and cultures
and is considered critical infrastructure

21. Engineering the System
 Today, each broadband user contributes approximately 200 Kbps of
usage to the busy hour calculation.
 An LTE system with 20 MHz of spectrum can deliver an aggregate
capacity of approximately 40 Mbps per sector.
 That sector at today’s usage requirements should handle approximately
200 broadband users but in reality, 150 users is more accurate
 Spectrum quantity and quality is critical for a wireless system to be
successful
 Using unlicensed spectrum or Pseudo licensed spectrum in a populated
area where other competitors are using the same spectrum is very
challenging
 In rural areas or areas where other operators are not using unlicensed
spectrum, a wireless broadband operator can be very successful

22. Subscriber Installation
 The cost per subscriber can be impacted by the type of
device used and if it is an outdoor installation or indoor
installation
 Higher frequencies impacted by building materials usually
require an outdoor installation
 Indoor installations usually use a lower cost device, and the
labor is greatly reduced or eliminated
 Technologies require the best possible signal level and
quality to be the most efficient
 Some customers should not be served due to the negative
impact on the overall system

23. Base Station Trends
 Base Stations or Access Points are being installed at or
near the antennas to reduce signal loss in the coax
 Tier 1 carriers are deploying this strategy where once
only Wireless Internet Service Providers utilized this
practice
 Equipment is becoming more reliable, and it is
changing how networks are deployed
 Distributed antenna systems and in-building solutions
are more prevalent
 Each tower location is typically served with 100 Mbps
service either by fiber or wireless backhaul

24. Summary
 Wireless is a great solution to provide broadband
 Streaming video has impacted all internet service providers
capacity needs, but wireless is impacted more negatively due to
the finite resources and the cost of spectrum
 Rural areas served by the larger national carriers will require
Wireless Internet Service Providers to fill the void left by their
inability to serve the low populated areas
 A mix of fiber, copper, coax and wireless will need to be utilized
to meet the demand in our rural areas
 Wireless cannot meet all of the needs we have, but it can be an
important tool in the toolbox.

25. Capex and Opex
 Communications tower $145,000
 3G/LTE/Commerical Equipment $40,000 to $60,000
 Unlicensed base station equipment $200 to $20,000
 Antennas, coax, installation $10,000 to $40,000
 Option to Lease Tower
 Average monthly tower rent $1,300
 Leasing transport/backhaul $1,000

26. Revenue needs
 To support the operating expenses and recovering
capital, each site should generate at least $4,000 in
revenue per month

27. Tower Ownership
 Build and own it if you can!
 Enough said

28. Thank you!
Albert Kangas, COO and GM
NewCore Wireless
E: albert.kangas@corewg.com
www.NewCoreWireless.Net