Transcript
THE ‘CAT’ MOBILE PHONE HOTSPOT One solution to the remote area conundrum
Broadband for the Bush Fremantle June 2017
MOBILE BLACKSPOT PROGRAM 1 TOTAL INVESTMENT $385,000,000 499 TOWERS => $770,000 per tower
THE REMOTE AREA CONUNDRUM Mobile towers are very difficult to cost-justify for remote areas with low populations and/or low vehicle traffic volumes. BUT There are strong public safety, regional development and equity arguments for extending mobile telecommunications to these areas
What are the alternatives to full macro-cell mobile coverage?
$
IMPLEMENTATION COSTS
$
MACRO CELL
SMALL CELL
WI-FI HOTSPOT
MOBILE HOTSPOT ACTIVE REPEATER
REMOTE AREA PERFORMANCE FEATURES Macro-cell
Small-cell
Stand-alone WiFi Hotspot
Mobile Phone Active cellular Hotspot Repeater (Cel-Fi)
Call capacity
high
medium
low
single user
low
Data
✓
✓
✓
✓
✓
Cellular Voice
✓
✓ or X
X: OTT only
✓
✓
Typical range
15km radius from RBS tower
1.5km radius from RBS tower
80m radius from hotspot
single point at 30m radius at 30km from 30km from RBS tower RBS tower
Typical backhaul
fibre or terrestrial microwave
satellite
satellite
not required
not required
Vulnerabilities
power fail
power fail; weather affecting satellite link
power fail; weather affecting satellite link
parent cell failure
parent cell failure; Local power fail
REMOTE AREA OPERATIONAL FEATURES
Macro-cell
Small-cell
Stand alone Mobile Phone WiFi Hotspot Hotspot
Active cellular Repeater (Cel-Fi)
Typical power supply configuration
reticulated mains/ solar PV/ generator
Settlement mains
solar PV
nil
Settlement mains or solar PV
Installation complexity and lead times
very high
high
medium
low
low
Physical housing & security requirements
very high
medium
medium
nil
medium
Maintenance requirements
very high
very high
high
very low
low
What is a Mobile Hotspot? • The CAT Mobile Phone Hotspot is a one-user-at-a-time facility to extend mobile coverage in fringe areas with poor coverage
• It consists of a concrete or platform base, a parabolic dish antenna and post, and a pedestal /cradle to hold the phone • The Hotspot requires no power, has no moving parts, and therefore requires virtually no maintenance
How does it work? • The dish is aimed at the nearest or most suitable mobile tower • Because of its large receiving area, the dish captures more signal than the phone’s built-in antenna, and focuses this stronger signal down to the cradle top where the phone sits • The user simply places their phone on the cradle and waits for a few seconds for signal to appear • The phone can be used in loudspeaker mode, or as a personal hotspot
Coverage (Mk 1 hotspot)
TYPICAL HANDHELD COVERAGE
10-15 KM
HOTSPOT AREA OF APPLICATION
20-30 KM
Technical features (Base model “Mk 1” Hotspot)
• Carrier agnostic (Optus, Telstra, Vodafone) • 3G, 4G, 4GX agnostic • Structurally approved for Region A (Inland Australia) and Regions B,C (Sub-Coastal and Coastal Cyclonic) • 12dB typical gain (exceeds vehicle mounted external antenna performance) • 3dB sub-reflector gain-extender option • Available with pre-cast or cast in-situ concrete slab, or flat-pack platform footing • Traffic sampling option • Customized instructional signage and directional road signage • Full turnkey implementation, including site pre-qualification, on-site survey, fabrication (or fabrication under licence), regulatory approvals, installation
EXAMPLE 1 – REMOTE INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY
EXAMPLE 2 – REMOTE HIGHWAY ROADSIDE REST AREA
EXAMPLE 3 – TOURISM LOCATION
User Experience & Usage User comments & experience:
Hotspot location
Type of site
“What a great service. I hear CAT is trying to put these all across the lands. I hope it comes off. Regional Australia needs to be looked after as well.”
Tropic of Capricorn
65 seconds
“Thank you for the ability to ring home and rub it in that we are having a good time.”
Stuart Highway 22.3 north - Roadside overnight stop
Simpsons Gap
Bushwalkers trail head
63 seconds
Finke Race weekend
Spectator point 56.6 60km from Alice Springs
The Simpsons Gap hotspot was used by the local Parks ranger to monitor and report status of a nearby fire. (February)
Calls /day
7.7
Median call duration
72 seconds
HOTSPOT ENHANCEMENT (with development funding assistance from the NT Govt. Department of Business)
OPPORTUNITIES
VIC – NSW : SILVER CITY HIGHWAY
WA - SA : NULLARBOR
TAS: CRADLE MOUNTAIN TRAILS
QLD - NSW: CUNNAMULLA TO COBAR
