Out of the wireless access bottleneck trap: technologies, economics, regulation and standardization perspectives

The current evolution of mobile broadband is expected to significantly increase the demand for wireless access resources in the near future. In this article, three ways to escape this wireless access bottleneck trap are examined. The first option is technologically driven and corresponds to enhancing the spectral efficiency of access technology, thus making better use of available wireless resources. However, there are theoretical limits for this approach, and further improvements might be complex and costly. The second option is based on allocating additional spectrum for mobile applications. Here, the “digital dividend” provides a unique opportunity, but the corresponding process is lengthy due to the required international harmonization. The third option focuses on densification of access points, which usually requires considerable investments. However, user provided small cell networks could provide an ingenious way out of the trap. Finally, the three options are compared, and drivers and barriers for the different approaches are analyzed.