A Framework for Evaluating 5G Infrastructure Sharing with a Neutral Host

• Published in: Proceedings of the XXth Conference of Open Innovations Association FRUCT Vol. 28; no. 2; pp. 659 - 663
• Main Authors: Vanessa Vasconcellos, Paulo H. Portela de Carvalho
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: FRUCT 01.01.2021
• Subjects: infrastructure sharing; neutral host; ultra-dense networks
• ISSN: 2305-7254; 2343-0737
• DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.4514983

Infrastructure sharing has been a growing topic of interest in the context of the fifth generation of cellular technology (5G). With the expected Ultra-Dense Networks (UDN), which will lead to a relevant increase in the number of sites, concerns regarding the availability of space for new towers and masts in city centers arise. Also, the capacity of mobile network operators to handle the costs of these networks by themselves assuring the return of investment is put to test. Neutral hosts appear as a promising solution to this challenge, however it can be a complex business model. This paper proposes a mathematical model for calculating the benefits of infrastructure sharing, including the scenario with a neutral host, aiming at applying it to a tool-based framework which compares it to other sharing strategies, suggesting the best alternative from the financial perspective. Preliminary results show that sharing with a neutral host can increase savings in comparison to other passive sharing strategies, however this advantage seems to hold only for a certain range of market share of the involved operators, being also affected by the amount of overlap of the desired infrastructures