Infrastructural Requirements of a Wireless Network

As mobile networks transitioned from 2G to 3G and now 4G technologies, the infrastructural requirements for connectivity have dramatically increased. Where 2G networks could provide coverage with towers spaced several miles apart, modern networks need cell sites located much closer together- in some cases only a mile or less apart- to deliver the bandwidth and speeds today's smartphones and applications demand. Meeting the infrastructural needs of a high-speed wireless network requires telecom operators to build or lease an extensive array of telecom towers.

According to industry estimates, over 500,000 towers have been installed across India to support growth in 4G use and the proliferation of smartphones. With fiber backhaul, advanced antennas and equipment supporting technologies like LTE, these towers have become the vital backbone connecting people in urban as well as far flung rural regions. However, constructing this tower infrastructure came with massive investments and overcoming hurdles related to siting approvals and power requirements in remote areas.

Addressing Challenges in Tower Installation and Maintenance

Erecting Telecom Towers required site surveys, structural analyses and foundation design suitable for each location considering variables like soil conditions and wind loads. Environmental clearances also had to be obtained as towers could impact avian life. Further, towers needed reliable power which was an issue in off-grid regions not connected to the electricity network. Initially, diesel generators were used but were costly to operate and maintain. Now green technologies like solar hybrid systems help reduce dependence on diesel.

Operational challenges remain in tower upkeep and maintenance. Remote sites are difficult to access, and harsh climate and terrain accelerate equipment wear and tear. Around-the-clock monitoring and quick response teams are crucial to minimise downtime from issues like tower tilts or power outages. Tower companies invest heavily in IT systems and advanced testing devices to remotely troubleshoot problems and schedule predictive maintenance as mandated by regulators.

Proliferation of Tower Infrastructure Companies

Seeing the commercial potential, several independent telecom infrastructure providers (IP1s) today own and manage dedicated towers portfolios that they lease to mobile network operators. Major IP1s in the country with tower counts in excess of 50,000 include Indus Towers, American Tower Corporation, Tower Vision and Ascend Telecom. These specialists have extensive experience with tower construction, solving real-world problems of siting and powering towers and offer services like maintenance through network operations centres.

IP1s adopt a shared infrastructure model where multiple operators deploy their equipment on the same tower to reduce costs. Tower sharing allows densification of networks through installation of additional antennas by different telcos on available space. It is a win-win as operators avoid duplicating towers while IP1s earn additional lease rentals. Industry experts estimate over 90% of towers in urban areas are shared between 2-3 operators, helping optimize tower CAPEX and OPEX.

Future Growth in Passive and Active Infrastructure

With 5G rollouts projected to start within a year, tower infrastructure requirements will further intensify. 5G networks using high-band spectrum will need many more sites compared to 4G since these frequencies have shorter ranges. Analysts foresee up to a five-fold increase in India's tower count over the next 5 years. This creates robust opportunities for independent infrastructure providers as operators seek allies with tower building capabilities.

Moreover, as networks evolve to a cloud-edge distributed architecture, there will be a shift towards passive infrastructure like telecom buildings housing servers and active infrastructure like small cells. IP1s are well-positioned to partner telecom operators in creating these critical network elements too. They can leverage tower sites as anchor locations with redundant power and fiber backhaul to house edge data centers and clusters of small cells. The future promises continued capital investment and consolidation in the Indian telecom tower industry as it shoulders the responsibility of enabling mass connectivity in a digital era.

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