Metrocell (small cell) backhaul is going to be one of the hottest topics for 2013 as operators try to figure out the cheapest, easiest and quickest ways to connect those last few hundred meters.

ThinkSmallCell predicts the reason is because new Long Term Evolution (LTE (News - Alert)) networks, as well as 3G networks getting more demand, will start to experience congestion in some urban areas with high human traffic. 

Mobile service providers will reinforce those locations by adding overlay or underlay small cells to boost capacity. In other cases, coverage (indoors) will be the driver. 

Deployment of new Wi-Fi features such as Passpoint and Hotspot 2.0 will start to make use of Wi-Fi even more seamless experience with traditional mobile broadband. 

But analysts at ThinkSmallCell also believe that Long Term Evolution speeds will be fast enough to cause many users to shift behavior, using the mobile network where they today shift to a local Wi-Fi connection.

We'll see. The countervailing argument is that users shift to Wi-Fi partly because that has offered a better user experience, and partly because it saves money. Better LTE will change expectations about "better experience," but will not change the desire to save money.

The first "Small-Cell-as-a-Service" commercial services will launch. Multimode small cells will be commercially available from several suppliers and be deployed, ThinkSmallCell predicts. 

On the other hand, some think the real activity for carrier small cells will show up in 2014 and 2015, Ericsson predicts. 

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