TSP with 200,000 cell sites for 4G network would easily need 600,000 for 5G network: HFCL

Domestic Telecom gear manufacturer HFCL Limited’s MD Mahendra Nahata earlier this month remarked that a telecom service provider with 200,000 cell sites for 4G network would easily need 600,000 sites for 5G network. The response came in response to a question regarding the market size of macro cells and small cells two or three years down the line.

Mahendra Nahata said that he had not estimated particularly for those cells in India but the market size would be thousand of crores. The 600,000 sites for the 5G network ballpark figure would only be for macrocell.

“If somebody has got 200,000 cell sites for 4G network assuming it would be easily 600,000 for 5G network that is only macro cell,” said Mahendra Nahata, MD, HFCL Limited.

He further added that the number of small cells required would be many more because that would be required for inside coverage and all that.

“If it is just said macro cell, again I am talking just estimated numbers, if one cell site cost $5,000 assuming and 600,000 you can multiply and see what numbers come in dollars multiplied by three or four operators you can get the number, $5,000 into 600,000 including three or four in India and then multiplied by that six times or 10 times for the world over quantity, you’ll get the humongous number,”

HFCL Limited has already started the work of macro cell production with small cell starting in a couple of weeks. The company is further finalizing the chipset to be used with the products expected to be out in 10 to 11 months.

“Last week only we did start of the macro cell and small cell we will be starting in a couple of weeks from now. We are just finalizing on which chipset to use and all that, A company or B company, we’re evaluating that and that evaluation should be done in the next couple of weeks,” said Mahendra Nahata, MD, HFCL.