The number of small cells deployed worldwide on mobile networks has exceeded the number of macro base stations, according to research by Informa Telecoms & Media for the Small Cell Forum. The report found that small cells have reached 6.07 million, while macro cells number 5.93 million. The bulk of the small cells (over 80%) are residential femtocells; these alone are expected to overtake the total number of macrocells early next year.
The report found a total 45 small-cell deployments worldwide, including nine of the top ten operators by revenue globally. The largest is Sprint with over 1 million femtocells deployed, while the UK and France recently became the first countries where all the major operators have launched femtocells.
The report also highlighted the emergence of the 'Small Cell as a Service' (SCaaS) model, where third parties roll out a small-cell network and then rent it to several operators. An example is Virgin Media, which announced it is trialing LTE small cells in the UK ahead of launching its SCaaS offering, and Colt announced it is already in trials with a major European operator.
