Workshop Background:

More than 2 years ago, the IWPC was challenged with finding ways of improving the field reliability of Tower Top Electronics.  At the time, we were told that there was a 2.5 - 3% return rate of tower top electronics - and that was too high.  The goal is less than 1%.

 

The IWPC accepted that challenge and organized many leading industry experts into the Tower Top Electronics Reliability Working Group to develop a systematic way of improving tower top electronics reliability.

 

This Working Group Session is designed to bring the entire Working Group together to finalize it's presentations to Network Management - planned for a December 2011 workshop.

Working Group Goals:

• Create an objective reliability test protocol specifically for “electronics up the mast.”
   

• Develop a common, relevant library of prediction tools and guidelines that correlate to industry experienced failure rates.
   

• Develop and implement a process for collection and sharing of industry data to help “raise the bar” on reliability of Tower Top Electronics experience by mobile operators.
   

• Improve the Quality and Reliability of Equipment Installations.
   

• Determine and Understand the actual transients which occur from Lightning events on Cellular Towers and recommend appropriate protection measures.
   

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

7:00 PM

Social and Networking
Reception & Registration

At Hotel

Thursday, September 22, 2011

7:00 AM

Breakfast & Registration

8:00 AM

Opening Remarks

8:25 AM

Self Introductions

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

9:00 AM

Restatement of Working Group Goals

• A restatement of the Goals of this Working Group from the person who originally challenged IWPC more than 2 years ago.

  • What is the current thinking of using Tower Top Electronics for Verizon's national LTE rollout?

  • What does the industry need to do to influence the adoption of Tower Top Electronics?

What is Needed to Utilize Tower Top Electronics

DMTS/RF Technology, RF Network Planning

Verizon Wireless

9:15 AM

Working Group Status Report

• Where have we come from?

• Where are we now?

• Where are we going?

Project Review

Chairmen

VP Marketing & Business Development

Ubidyne

Manager, Mechanical Engineering

SPX Dielectric

9:30 AM

Briefings by Sub-Committee Chairs

• Each Sub-Committee chair will take a few minutes to brief the audience on the status of each Sub-Committee's work - and to provide instructions on what is desired by each Sub-Committee during the Breakout Sessions.

Installation Best Practices Committee Review

Applications Engineer

3M

Reliability Prediction Committee Review

Manger, Failure Analysis

Powerwave

Data Collection Committee Review

Director, North American Sales

Kaelus

Test Methodology Committee Review

Manager/System Reliability Assurance

Commscope

Lightening Disturbance Assessment Committee Review

VP/Global Engineering & Product Management

Smiths Protection Technology Group

10:30 AM

Breakout Sessions

Each sub-committee will break into small groups and review work completed to date and update materials in preparation for the December workshop.

• Installation Best Practices Committee

  • Draft a “Best Practices” document to be distributed within the industry with the goal of improving the quality and reliability of Cellular Base Station installations
     

• Reliability Prediction Committee

  • Review and Recommend Reliability Prediction Methods

  • Provide Understanding of Model Assumptions and Other Inputs

  • Provide Guidelines on Interpreting and Comparing Predicted Failure Rates, Service Availability and Other Results
     

• Data Collection Committee

  • Provide an industry-wide benchmark for tower top electronics field return data
     

• Test Methodology Committee

  • Define Tower Top Operating Environment

  • Recommend Reliability Test Criteria

  • Define Reliability Demonstration Testing Methods
     

• Lightening Disturbance Assessment Committee

  • Establish a list of applicable Specifications, define a Tower configuration to use as a test platform and perform actual testing to determine performance and applicability of protection measures

12:30 PM

Networking Lunch

1:30 PM

Committee Reviews

Each sub-committee chairperson will review the status and progress of their committee's work with the entire group and seek feedback from the rest of the group to sharpen the final presentation to Carrier Network Management at the December workshop.

Installation Best Practices Committee Review

Reliability Prediction Committee Review

Data Collection Committee Review

Test Methodology Committee Review

Lightening Disturbance Assessment Committee Review

2:30 PM

Committee Final Edit

Each sub-committee will re-gather and assimilate the input from the Review Session to finalize work and next steps.

3:30 PM

Next Steps

• Verizon Wireless and other Carriers will offer comments on the work reported to date on the adoption of Tower Top Electronics and what is needed to prepare for the upcoming Workshop with Carrier Network Management

4:15 PM

Wrap Up & Take Aways

4:45 PM

Adjourn for Day

7:00 PM

Networking Dinner (Dutch*)

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

This is a chance for those who can stay to continue to Network on these important topics.

DEADLINE FOR HANDOUT MATERIALS:

Deadline for electronic version of handout materials: 

Friday, September 9, 2011

Attendees

• We do not permit the Press.

• We do not permit Analysts.

• We do not permit Consultants.

• We do not permit 3rd party sales reps.

We only permit "first hand knowledge experts" in business and technology issues, prepared to contribute to the discussion.

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/break/lunch/break), booklet copying, audio/visual costs, etc.

We estimate that these costs will be $ 279 (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:

Marriot San Francisco Airport Waterfront Hotel
1800 Old Bayshore Highway
Burlingame, CA  94010
Phone: 650-692-9100

Please contact the hotel directly for reservations. Mention the IWPC room block rate $179.00 USD single occupancy.

Or you can register on-line at:

http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/sfobG?groupCode=IWIIWIA&app=resvlink&fromDate=9/18/11&toDate=9/23/11

Cut-off date for reservations is Sunday, September 4th. After that date rooms cannot be guaranteed at the IWPC rate.

TRAVEL OPTIONS FROM AIRPORT TO HOTEL:   For transportation details: The hotel is at the San Francisco Airport and offers free 24-hour shuttle to/from the airport.

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 USB Memory Stick 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 memory stick. 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 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 use this FREE FTP site to send electronic materials (any size file):

http://www.iwpc.org/FTP_Transfer.asp

Click HERE to Register