Ahead of our summer meeting in Atlanta later this month, Chair David Orloff explains why this is a plenary with a difference.
It’s only a few weeks until our summer plenary meeting in Atlanta on 26-27 July, and I’m particularly excited about this one. This will be a plenary with a difference, because it will bring together a wide range of our partner organizations to form a collective front in pushing the industry forward to hyperdense networks, cellular-everywhere and 5G.
By the end of our first Partner Day on 26 July, I believe we will have the most ambitious, detailed action plan to date for dense HetNets, and one which unites the efforts of many of the mobile world’s most influential bodies.
The list of groups which have already agreed to take part in the discussions, and update us on their own priorities and progress, is a testament to the critical importance of small cells in modern networks. NGMN, GSMA, CBRS Alliance, xRAN, CTIA and TIA – all these bodies have a high interest in dense HetNets, and are keen to work with SCF to form a harmonized agenda.
Combined efforts will accelerate deployments and avoid duplication of effort. And for us, closer ties with these partners will ensure our work and our views get the maximum exposure, by being shared with their memberships.
Since become SCF chair, I’ve been amazed at how much is achieved at each plenary meeting. So much needs to be done to achieve our industry’s goals and the list is only getting longer as we approach 5G. Our members work extremely hard to keep pace with the progress of densification and to address the challenges that brings, whether technical, operational or commercial.
In Atlanta, we will make even more progress in these areas, building on the work in Cannes and London. But as small cells start to underpin every aspect of the mobile network, even the dedicated members of SCF cannot address every issue alone, hence the importance of the partner program. This has gone from strength to strength in recent years and many of SCF’s key achievements have been the result of partnerships.
I believe the Partner Day will create even closer ties, and provide valuable inputs for the rest of the plenary’s work schedule. Discussions and presentations with the partners will revolve around four topics – technologies for densification; standards and interoperability; operations, regulation, policy and infrastructure; and business and markets.
That will feed into the day 2 program. This will see each SCF workgroup defining its own vision and roadmap for the 5G era (not just the 5G radio itself, but the broad range of technologies which will enable dense, ubiquitous mobile networks in the coming years).
Do sign up now to be with us in Atlanta and hear from the industry groups which are deciding the course of dense networks and the 5G roadmap – and have your chance to influence their decisions. I look forward to stimulating discussions and a host of action points which will make the 5G picture a great deal clearer. I look forward to welcoming you to Atlanta.
PLEASE NOTE: Registration for this event is now closed