Workshop Background

The worldwide demand for cost effective mobile wireless voice AND data infrastructure with increasing bandwidth continues to grow driven by the desire to get good wireless access to the internet with high data rates. 

The challenge therefore is to increase more uniform coverage with increased datarate. 

Improved centralized solutions such as WCDMA, HSDPA, etc. are emerging but these require higher PA linearity and thus lower PA efficiency and therefore more heat, more power etc. 

One approach which basestation manufacturers are pursuing is to use distributed radio headends fed via fiber or millimeterwave links.  This will allow for reductions in the size of the radios, more uniform overall coverage and reductions in the overall power consumed.  A key to this implementation will be the availability of light weight, low cost tower or roof mountable electronics (TME).

In addition, the move to standardized interfaces such as CPRI and OBSAI offers options which may make it easier to provide low cost solutions for smaller remote radio heads to be used.

However,  there is significant reluctance by the carriers based on concerns with maintenance and servicing consequences which might require complete shut down of these tower mounted radios.  There is therefore a need for significant attention to be placed on identifying technology and design approaches which drive up the MTBF without driving up the cost.

Workshop Goal

The GOAL of this workshop, the ninth in a series, is to bring together senior leaders from THE ENTIRE SUPPLY CHAIN to facilitate and stimulate breakthrough thinking on emerging technologies and manufacturing methods which, when coupled with market needs and timings, and key system cost drivers, can substantially drive down the cost of the RF hardware and operating expenses associated with base station networks. 

In short, the goal of this workshop is to create an open, interactive environment, where the entire supply chain can communicate, network, share technology requirements and capabilities, and achieve mutually desired goals.

Tuesday, November 8, 2005

7:00 PM

Social and Networking 

Reception & Registration

At Hotel

Wednesday, November 9, 2005

7:00 AM

Breakfast & Registration
 

8:00 AM

Opening Remarks
 

8:15 AM  

Introductions

Each person will be asked to introduce him/herself and share how they can contribute to this process

REQUIREMENTS AND SYSTEM SOLUTIONS OFFERED

SIEMENS Keynote

OVERVIEW

	Overview of Cellular Networks and the need for distributed basestation networks and tower mounting of electronics. (TME)
	What are the implications of TME on operating expenses? Field operations Installation Maintenance Repair Servicing Energy Consumption Backhaul options and fees Site fees and key factors

	What do subsystem suppliers have to understand when presenting new technological solutions for basestations?
	Role of other emerging technologies and their implications Tower Top Electronics SDR Reconfigurable Radios and Smart Antennas Broadband Service Delivery
	What are the implications of the OBSAI and CPRI interfaces?
	What are the key subsystems which must be challenged to improve to meet the needs of distributed basestations networks?

Evolution of Mobile Networks

Dr. Joerg Sokat
Senior Vice President Network Technology

Siemens

Distributed BaseStations - Market Trends and Benefits

Dr. Dina Bartels

Director, UTRAN Product Line Strategy

Siemens

10:00 AM

BREAK  
 

SERVICE PROVIDER 

• How do the service providers foresee introduction of distributed basestation architectures and tower mounted electronics into their networks?

• What do the operators see as the pros and cons of distributed basestation architectures versus larger, more complex centralized systems? Maintenance, energy consumption, installation, etc.

• What are the tradeoffs between OPEX and CAPEX implications in moving to these kinds of systems?

• What might they see as the economic drivers for moving to distributed basestation network architectures? 

• Will these be deployed as overlay networks or enhancements to existing basestations?

• What will be the role if any of basestation hoteliers and site management organizations?

Distributed Base Station Architecture: Realizing the promise of DAS

Sunil Prasad

Director Innovation Realization
Sprint Nextel

Innovative Radio over Fiber systems

Mauro Boldi

System Engineer

Access Network & Terminals

Telecom Italia

Service Providers Invited

Vodafone

11:30AM

 NETWORKING LUNCH

NEUTRAL HOST PROVIDERS' VIEWS

• How do the neutral host providers foresee introduction of distributed basestation architectures and tower mounted electronics into their networks?

• What do the neutral host providers see as the pros and cons of distributed basestation architectures versus larger, more complex centralized systems? Maintenance, energy consumption, installation, etc.

• What are the perceived tradeoffs between OPEX and CAPEX and implications in moving to these kinds of systems?

• What might be the overall effect on site fees in comparison to centralized systems?

• What might they see as the economic drivers for moving to distributed basestation network architectures? 

• What do site managers see as their role in distributed basestation systems?

PANEL

SERVICE PROVIDERS 
and
SITE MANAGERS

Operators and Site Managers will be given the opportunity to clarify their needs, requirements and views and will engage in a panel session where the audience is invited to ask questions and they will be given the opportunity to ask each other and the audience questions.

BREAK

MAJOR SUBSYSTEM SUPPLIERS-Session 1 
-ANTENNA SYSTEMS 

	What are some Distributed Antenna Concepts and what kind of requirements do they place on the electronics and antenna structures?
	What electronics should be combined with the antenna?
	What is the impact of the establishment of the CPRI and OBSAI interfaces and what are their relative merits in distributed architectures?
	What are the major technology hurdles to implementing the radio electronics to be mounted near the antennas rather than in sheltered hotels?
	Should the power amplifiers be mounted at the masthead or not?
	What will be the role of Smart Antennas?
	What are the implications of these subsystems for operating expenses? Field operations Installation Maintenance Repair and reliability Servicing Energy Consumption
	What are the CAPEX implications?

Shared Digital Distributed Antenna Systems

Mike Hermel

Research Engineer

Wireless Business Unit

ADC Telecommunications

Contribution of Advanced Antenna Systems to Cellular Network Optimization

Patrick Nobileau

VP Base Station Antennas

Radio Frequency Systems

Coverage Enhancing Antenna Technology

Norbert Ephan

Senior Manager, New Technology

Kathrein

5:00 PM

Adjourn  
 

7:00 PM

Dinner 

Munich Style  

Bus Transportation provided to and from hotel

Thursday, November 10, 2005

7:00 AM

Breakfast  
 

Basestation OEM views

• Cellular Networks architectures options for distributed basestation equipment and tower mounting of electronics. (TME)

• What are the implications of distributed basestation architectures and TME on operating expenses?

  • Field operations

  • Installation

  • Maintenance

  • Repair

  • Servicing

  • Energy Consumption

  • Backhaul options and fees

  • Site fees and key factors

• What do subsystem suppliers have to understand when presenting new technological solutions for basestations?

• Role of other emerging technologies and their implications for distributed systems

  • SDR

  • Reconfigurable Radios and Smart Antennas

  • Broadband Service Delivery options (e.g. WiMAX?)

• What are the implications of the OBSAI and CPRI interfaces?

• What are the key subsystems which must be challenged to improve to meet the needs of distributed basestations networks?

  • Smart Antennas

  • Reconfigurable radios?

  • Power amplifiers?

  • Others?

• What are the CAPEX/OPEX tradeoffs and implications in going to distributed architectures?

• What are the pros and cons of carriers working with major OEMs rather than distributed antenna system suppliers?

9:30 AM  

NETWORKING BREAK

PANEL

BASESTATION OEMS and KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Basestation OEMs will be given the opportunity to clarify their needs, requirements and views and will engage in a panel session where the audience is invited to ask questions and they will be given the opportunity to ask each other and the audience questions.

MAJOR SUBSYSTEM SUPPLIERS-Session 2
-POWER AMPLIFIER SUBSYSTEMS

	What are the major technology hurdles to implementing PAs to be mounted near the antennas rather than in sheltered hotels?
	Where is the technology going and what are some predictions for performance over the next few years?  efficiency power level linearity operation under dynamic signal characteristics (e.g. HSDPA) reliability (under outdoor operating environment) weight and size

	How will tower or masthead mounting of Power Amplifiers change the challenges and options for design?
	What are the implications of the PAs on operating expenses? Field operations Installation Maintenance Repair Servicing Energy Consumption
	What are the CAPEX implications?
	How does the emergence of the OBSAI and CPRI interface standards affect the way the PAs are built or could be built?

RF Heads - Not Such a Remote Possibility

Peter Kenington

Director Advanced Technology

Andrew Corporation

Integrated Distributed Base Station Technology 

Eric Hawthorn

Managing Director

Power Amplifiers 

Filtronic

 LUNCH

Enabling Technologies

	Thermal Mounting Techniques
	Cabling and connectors
	Semiconductor Device technologies
	Cabinet assembly and temperature control
	Packaging technologies
	Environmental and lightning protection
	Material options
	Testing and diagnostics
	Shielding
	Design Tools
	Others

Lightning Protection for Distributed Wireless Nodes

Art Peltier

Vice President, Engineering

PolyPhaser

Enabling Reconfigurable Digital IF and Smart Antennas Technology with FPGAs

Stefan Garcia
Altera

Balancing the Load - Implications of BaseStation Equipment Design on Support Structures

David Durham

Global Account Manager

Alan Dick & Co.

Passive, Lightweight Thermal Management Solutions for Tower-Mounted Electronics

Julian Norley

Sr. Corporate Fellow, Director of R&D

Graftech

New reworkable, electrically and thermally conductive film for power transistor grounding and heat dissipation

Jochen Schuermans

Market Manager Europe

Emerson & Cuming

 NETWORKING BREAK

CLOSING PANEL

Host Panel session and Operators

The hosts will be asked to recap the extent to which the workshop has addressed their wish lists.

• Have we answered your questions? 

• Do you now have better insight into the tradeoffs and values for the different options? 

• What gaps do you see and what should be done to address these gaps? (Communications and Technology) 

• What can the IWPC do to help move this process forward?

Host and Operators 

Take Aways & Closing Remarks

Adjourn

Dinner (Dutch *)

* = in this context, Dutch is a term which means that each person will be responsible for their own dinner costs.

Friday, November 11, 2005

Tours of Siemens Facilities
(Restrictions may apply - subject to Siemens approval.)

Bus Transportation provided from and to hotel.

DEADLINE FOR HANDOUT MATERIALS

Deadline for electronic version of handout materials: 

Friday, October 28, 2005

COSTS/REGISTRATION FEE

ALL Hosts, Speakers, Panel Members and Attendees will be asked to cover out of pocket workshop costs such as conference room costs, food (Social Reception plus First Day breakfast/lunch/dinner plus Second Day breakfast/lunch plus 4 Breaks), booklet copying, audio/visual costs, etc.

We estimate that these costs will be $649. (USD) per person. (For IWPC Members, only.)

ALL Hosts, Speakers, Panel Members and Attendees will be asked to pay this fee in advance with either Visa, Mastercard, American Express, cash, personal check or business check.

Make checks payable to IWPC.

HOTEL

Kempinski Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten Munich

Maximilianstrasse 17

80539 Munich , Germany

Phone: +49-89-2125-2711

Fax:     +49-89-2125-2720

Online-Reservation:  www.kempinski-vierjahreszeiten.de

Please contact the hotel directly for reservations.  Mention the IWPC room block rate of 

Single room               Euro 205

Double room              Euro  250

Cut-off date for reservations is October 7, 2005.  After that date rooms cannot be guaranteed at the IWPC rate.

AUDIO VISUAL

A Computer Projector will be available for the speakers.  

 In addition, we audiotape all presentations and the interactive discussions.  Post workshop, presentations are made available to IWPC Members on the IWPC WEB site, along with “movies” of all presentations and panel sessions.

BUSINESS CARDS

Business cards will be collected at the door from all attendees. We will make copies of these cards, which will be available to all who provided a business card.

DRESS

Business casual suggested.   No ties, please !!

HANDOUT MATERIALS

IWPC prepares a handout binder with ALL presentation materials delivered to the IWPC on or before the deadline.

For ALL IWPC members:

All IWPC members are invited to submit a maximum of 4 pages of materials to include in this handout binder. These pages should NOT BE SALES MATERIALS. Rather, we suggest it contain technical information about your technology as it relates to the workshop topics.

For all companies who will be making a presentation at the Workshop:

You are invited to submit an advance copy of your presentation, complete with graphics and illustrations.

These materials will be copied and handed out at the workshop and included in the IWPC Web site.

Please submit these materials either by email, as a Word for Windows file, Power Point files or PDF files.

Please send electronic materials (any size file) to:
[email protected]

or by snail mail to:
IWPC
610 Louis Drive, Suite 301
Warminster, PA  18974  USA

Click HERE to Register