Cox Communications has launched what it’s calling Neutral Host as a Service (NHaaS). Neutral host technology uses cellular equipment that can provide connectivity to multiple service providers.
“This is a managed service,” said a Cox spokesperson in an email response to questions from Telecompetitor.
Cox installs the equipment and proactively manages the network, the spokesperson explained: “We can offer a pricing construct that best meets our customers’ needs: either fully recurring cost, fully one-time (upfront) cost, or some mix of upfront and recurring costs.”
Asked whether any revenues from carriers using the network were shared, the spokesperson said the company is not sharing financial details at this time.
The Cox NHaaS offering relies on a partnership with InfiniG, a company focused on NHaaS. The offering is intended for environments with poor indoor cellular coverage.
Cox is marketing the offering through its Cox Private Networks unit.
As the spokesperson explained, “A neutral host network uses the same equipment as a private wireless network. Neutral host can basically be thought of as a use case on a private wireless network.
“It uses the same equipment as a typical private cellular network (RAN, core, etc.) One of the greatest benefits of a CBRS based neutral host network is that the same equipment can be used for other private wireless use cases, greatly increasing the ROI of the private network deployment.”
According to Cox, the company’s neutral host offering is a more economical and less complex option to install in comparison with distributed antenna system (DAS) technology.
Private wireless is a key focus for Cox. The company has offered the technology for at least two years, and in July the company acquired Unite Private Networks.
