UCSC Microcell NetworkJuly 2005

Ed TitusTelecom Manager 831.459.3990etitus@ucsc.edu

Ed retired in June 2010.

Questions can be sent to Matt McKenna, mmckenna@ucsc.edu

Issues and Concerns

• Poor Cell Phone Coverage on Campus

• RF Exposure from Cell Tower Sites

• Multiple Cell Service Providers on Campus

• Revenue Opportunities

Poor Cell Phone Coverage

• Uneven terrain, tall trees

• Steel and Concrete Buildings

• Few acceptable locations for new cell sites

RF Exposure

• There is significant concern around cell sites located near residential buildings and research laboratories.

• Typical Cell Site is rated at 1000 watts

Multiple Service Providers

• Nextel• Cell One• Verizon• Cingular• Sprint• UCSC spends

~$500K among 5 providers

The Customers

• We have 6,000 residential students.

• An additional 9,000 students who live in town.

• 3,500 faculty and staff that come to the campus.

• It is estimated that about 70% of this population have cell phones

The Vendors

We have 3 large cell sites on campus: AT&T Wireless (now Cingular), Nextel, and

Verizon

These towers provide some service on campus, but are mainly focused on providing service to

the town below.

Even though these are powerful transmission sites they cannot penetrate the trees.

Macro Objectives

• Comprehensive Campus Coverage

• Multiple Service Providers

• Implementation at no cost to the University

• Some type of Revenue Stream

Micro Objectives

• Consolidated towers

• Aesthetic Considerations

• Efficient use of fiber

• Low RF emissions

Initial Proposals

• AT&T and Cingular proposed additional towers in central campus location.

• The two carriers would not agree to mounting antennas on a single tower.

• The research community was concerned about RF contamination in their labs.

• No guarantee of comprehensive campus coverage.

Initial Proposals

• Nextel proposed to install BDA equipment to provide in building service in 4 campus buildings.

• Nextel was very aggressive in approaching our public safety and Campus maintenance organizations to advocate for a single

vendor cell phone solution.

• While proposal would improve service, it did not meet our macro objectives

NextG Networks

• Small antennas• Low power• Multiple locations• Multiple Cell Phone Providers• Connected via Campus single mode fiber• Potential Revenue Stream for the Campus• Little or no cost to the University to install

Revenue Opportunities

• $3,000/yr from lease of Campus Network

• $18,000/yr from lease of Campus space

• Multiple Cell Service providers will generate additional rental income

• Additional Revenue Opportunities from joint marketing arrangements yet to be negotiated

The Agreement

• One year exclusive marketing rights.NextG had one year to attract Cell Phone providers to the campus.

• NextG would lease fiber strands from the campus at nominal cost.

• NextG would install and maintain Microcell antenna sites.

Master Lease Agreement

• Defines Terms and Conditions of fiber lease– UC responsible to provide acceptable fiber– UC to respond in timely fashion if fiber should

fail.– UC to provide 7x24 access to NextG network

Master Lease Agreement

• Network Orders

• Defines fiber segments and equipment requirements.

• UCSC to negotiate space lease directly with Cell Site providers

Initial Reaction

• Cell Phone companies responded:

“NextG is too expensive.”

“We can do the same thing.”

“We cooperate with other cell phoneproviders all the time.”

Cingular Wireless

• Cingular Wireless signs with NextG:

Orders 6 microcell sites

• Cingular signs lease agreement with UCSC:

5 Year Lease for interface equipment space

Proposed Cingular/NextGSix node Network

35 watt transmittersCoverage to most residential

and academic buildings

2010 UpdateFive carriers: Sprint/nextel,AT&T, Verizon, t-mobile,

Metro-PCS

Outdoor propagation commonly exceeds circles. Indoor coverage depends on building construction type.

The Campus Process

• Architectural Review and Approval

• Business Case Review and Approval

• Facility Review and Approval

• Construction Design Review and Approval

• RF Exposure Review and Approval

• Meetings to Inform the Faculty, Staff, Students and the Public

Deliverables

• Visual Simulations

• RF Studies, Each site

• Structural Design Drawings

• Equipment Specifications

• Fiber strand requirements

• NextG provided 10 copies of each deliverable in a presentation notebook as well as electronic media.

Current Status (2005)

• T-mobile bought the Cingular network and operates in the 1900 megahertz range

• Cingular is deploying new network on same sites in the 850 Megahertz range.

• Verizon is interested.

• Nextel is working on an in building improvements and might order a couple of microcell sites.

The Official Seal

2009 site list

We are not alone . . .

• Other schools have installed microcell systems

• Texas A&M Walt Magnussenhttp://www.internet2.edu/presentations/jt2009feb/20090203-magnussen.pdf

http://www.acuta.org/wcm/acuta/donna2/Handout/SS10/SS10MagnussenFMC.pdf

http://www.acuta.org/wcm/acuta/donna2/Handout/SS10/SS10KingWireless.pdf