Daniel Herb, Chief Product Officer, IONX Networks, tells TMN 7 Things he knows about how the Neutral Host, Network-as-a-Service model can transform network economics , performance and ability to scale.
1. Connectivity is about customers, not technology
All our time is spent engaging and developing our customer relationships, and we know that customers want solutions that meet their needs and improve their experience, and not technical specifications.
That’s why we have re-branded to IONX Networks. Dense Air was a name that reflected our heritage in pioneering shared technologies, but it only described a particular technical approach – one that we have now evolved to be customer facing.
The IONX brand will allow us to speak to the things that matter to customers and mobile network operators – the Integrated, Optimized, Network eXperience.
IONX is a brand about operating a super-efficient Radio Access Network platform, bringing the benefits of 4G and 5G to customers to deliver a better experience, and delivering the wrap-around support and commercial model our customers need.
2. Neutral Host and as-as-service models are changing network experience and economics
I believe we’re at a transformational moment for Neutral Host as an industry; we are witnessing and playing a leading role in this technical and economic shift. Mobile network operators are no longer the only parties that fund and deploy networks. Instead, we are seeing the development and adoption of shared infrastructures with multiple potential paying parties in the business model.
That’s being driven by a combination of factors, including the availability of shared spectrum models such as the US’s CBRS specification, and the increasing development of Open and disaggregated RAN, which is changing the economics and diversifying the range of optimised network equipment solutions.
Another key driver is that the customer demand for better experiences and network performance is clear, and it’s a demand that is coming from municipalities, enterprises, industry, real estate and property owners.
To meet that diversity of use case and demand we are seeing the rise of a different kind of network provider, one that can act as a catalyst to provide network on an as-a-Service basis to a wide base of customers.
The stress on operator networks is prevalent and apparent. So, if other parties can align operator KPIs in areas such as security, QoS and performance, we will see a greater adoption of neutral host architectures.
3. Neutral Host models meet customer and MNO requirements
Neutral Host operators provide public network coverage for building owners, property managers and facility operators, enabling them to enhance worker performance and guest safety, and meet a variety of use cases that depend on high performance connectivity. But we also serve as trusted partners towards our MNO partners.
Facing the customer, IONX builds, owns and operates the network-as-a-service. We provide and install the equipment, integrate, operate and offer ongoing support of the network. The customer IT team knows it is receiving enduring service across that lifecycle, and don’t have to become ceullar network experts to improve their user and customers’ quality of experience.
Additionally, any Neutral Host provider also needs to act as a trusted interconnect with mobile network operators. We’re interfacing with operators at the point of their most precious asset, which is their relationship with the end user.
Working as-a-service means we can support the MNO brand experience and, through shared economics, deploy and enhance performance in locations where they cannot afford to provide dedicated network service independently.
4. Insights matters, our model provides flexibility
IONX has moved away from our previous model, which saw us own and operate spectrum. Now, dependent on the use cases and in-market conditions, we can operate as a truly flexible Neutral Host. As a proof point we deploy using shared spectrum, such as CBRS in the USA, or using operator-owned, licensed spectrum. In all our markets we are only focussed on being a Neutral Host platform.
We can also support different shared architectures, such as MORAN (Multi-Operator Radio Access Network) and MOCN (Multi-Operator Core Network). In the UK, which has taken leadership on the adoption of a joint standard for shared networks, we have a public announcement with Cornerstone and Signify to bring densification to the city of Oxford, based on JOTS (Joint Operators Technical Specification), with more cities to follow. We’re very excited to see that play out.
Technically, we bring a flexible and technology-agnostic set of ingredients. We have a cloud-first and data-first mentality, pioneering the use of network insights to deep dive into the existing network performance and to target locations where our as-a-service platform can make the difference.
To complement that cloud platform, we are also very focused on distributed, Open RAN small cells, particularly as we move into 5G. That brings with it some real and positive cost disruption. Every deployment we make is configured to support the transition to 5G, and as we evolve to a disaggregated CU-DU-RU model, to do that in a low cost, elegant and efficient way that maximises customer benefits.
5. Security-first design delivers for our customers and MNO partners
You cannot over-estimate security as a key factor in Neutral Host provision. Our MNO customers are right to demand it – and as recent events have shown it is becoming more and more important in today’s world to protect mission-critical infrastructure.
From vendor selection to our platform architecture, we make sure that we adopt a security-first stance.
The advantage of that approach is that it becomes a positive selling point for the Neutral Host model. For enterprises that tend to rely on Wi-Fi, the nature of cellular technology brings levels of encryption and security that are a step above.
6. A Neutral Host, as-a-Service model unlocks new levels of support
For customers, moving to an as-a-Service, cloud-first, data-first platform can be transformative in terms of insight into their user experience. IONX deploys a transparent, data-first architecture to our whole deployment lifecycle. That allows full observability and control to our customers and to MNO partners.
We can provide a digital twin for where and how the network will be built, and how it is performing against expected benchmarks. That brings a different and new dimension of support to our customers.
Through data insights we can ‘see’ the use case and the customer requirement – for a simple example, if we are solving a capacity issue or a coverage issue – and model how can we best support this customer and meet their requirements.
7. Neutral Host adoption is at a moment of evolution – IONX will drive that change
We are at a disruptive moment in mobile network economics, with awareness that older network business models have run their course and that there is a requirement for new sources of capital and revenue. MNOs may not have the available capital to reach inside buildings, or to densify in urban areas or other areas of high demand, and it certainly isn’t efficient for three or even four operators to duplicate that investment individually.
So, the time is right to unlock other sources of network investment by deploying a different model, with different participants. That is why we are engaging with groups such as the Telecom Infrastructure Project and the O-RAN Alliance to drive new methods of commercial deployment – engaging and adopting new industry standards such as the JOTS framework in the UK.
At IONX we’re seeing a lot of interest in our As-a-service model. We know the Neutral Host space will grow very quickly over the next 5-10 years, and we know also that the new IONX brand will be a key part of that transformation.
MORE INFORMATION
To discover more about how IONX can unlock new levels of service and performance contact the team directly :
Sales: sales@ionxnetworks.com
Partnerships: partnerships@ionxnetworks.com
Media: welwood@ionxnetworks.com
Linked In: Follow and connect on LinkedIn
Web: IONX website
