A Private Mobile Network (PMN) can be a commercially viable solution to providing mobile coverage in remote areas not adequately covered by existing macro mobile networks.
For economic reasons, GSM coverage today is, predominantly, in the more densely populated areas of the world. User expectation of total coverage is putting pressure on Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to expand networks and improve coverage to more remote locations.
When decisions about creating new coverage areas are being made, one of the key concerns for an MNO is to maximise average revenue per user (ARPU) for a given capital expenditure. The year-on-year spend on GSM telecommunications equipment has averaged about $25bn. There are hundreds of live GSM networks worldwide and each of these requires hardware and software.
A solution to the issue of GSM network coverage that does not have the cost issues or require revenue sharing agreements
A large-scale national or international GSM network is an expensive technology to deploy and even the largest MNOs do not provide networks with 100% coverage. Rather, they create a core network and cover locations outside this through roaming agreements. The question for the service provider then is how to create infill of the coverage in the most cost effective areas, bearing in mind the lower ARPU likely to be generated at such locations.
A private mobile network provides micro network Remote GSM coverage at a set location, in the same way that a macro network does but at a greatly reduced cost. This is because the chief costs are the BTS units used on a macro network which are orders of magnitude more expensive than the costs of nano and pico BTS units used on a micro network.
A PMN uses the same architecture as the macro MNO networks but with lower capacity components operating at lower power outputs. This allows the operator to reduce costs while generating new ARPU. The added advantage of a Remote GSM micro network is that it can support a closed user group that could be restricted, for example, to just the workers on a specific site, e.g. a mine or, alternatively, it could be part of the all inclusive package offered at a holiday resort.
Where access is required from the micro network to other networks, such as a landline call or a call to another country, the PMN Remote GSM can be connected using standard ISDN, data circuits or even satellite for the backhaul. The type of backhaul selected would depend on the location and the traffic required. The Remote GSM micro network can be integrated into existing mobile infrastructures allowing the MNO to route calls and text messages and to bill for these calls and text messages. If the relevant roaming agreements are in place, then Customised Applications for Mobile Enhanced Logic (CAMEL) services would also operate. This allows roaming users to access services such as voicemail on their home network.