"Vorsprung durch Technic"

Vorsprung durch Technic or as it translates advancement through technology is a very well known advertising slogan used by Audi and I thought it was a great way to start this blog.

Its a real bugbear of mine that in the wireless and telecommunications world technologies fall into two categories - the actual communications technology that gets perceived as "smart" technology - all the fancy new gizmos with their flahing lights offering untold bandwidth, speed, capacity whatever and then there is what what is perceived as the "dumb" technology - all the infrastructure that supports, powers and essentially makes the smart stuff work. 

The problem is that the industry gets very excited about the new "smart" technologies - in mobile/ cell we see that now with LTE etc - state of the art technology, fantastic throughputs, great true broadband capacities, using remote radio units to solve feeder loss issues etc etc and, in all, every wireless/ cell equipment vendor has some really sexy new technology out there in LTE or WiMax right now - small units highly efficient - fantastic.

Fantastic that is until we review how this new technology is being supported - thats when we see ineffecient straight mains or diesel gensets for power with very limited renewable (or even hybrids with deep cell battery technologies) in sight, clumsy old design steel lattice towers and massive concrete foundations that need to be cast in situ - in short not much in the way of technology advancement in this area.

Its a shame because substantial savings can be made in both CAPEX and OPEX by looking at some new infrastucture options.   As operators try (need?) to save that last cent in both those areas to drive profits up and keep call costs down they need to break the mould of procurement for these types of product and use a "whole of network" cost rather than a cheapest unit cost model. 

Operators can make their networks even more efficient and cost effective to deploy and operate if they adopt the very latest in all the technologies used for the infrastucture and the actual communications equipment.

Or - to put it another way - how would Audi fare if they were selling cars that had all the latest computer controlled advanced engine management systems and superior ancillary equipment if they put it in the bodyshell of a 1970's car with pressed steel narrow wheels and no seat belts?

"Vorsprung durch Technik" - worth remembering...