AIRCOM

Watch AIRCOM's CEO, Darryl Edwards, speaking to Telcoprofessionals

Darryl Edwards speaks with Telcoprofessional's David Pringle about the capacity crunch, LTE, SON and of course, AIRCOM!

 

 

Tip of the week: How effective spectrum management helps operators halve their CAPEX during LTE rollout

Spectrum costs accounted for half of the carrier capital expenditures (CAPEX) for 3G networks in the first 3-5 years of deployment.

 

While discussing spectrum allocation and re-farming may not make for flashy newspaper headlines, make no mistake: it is critically important to operators that are rolling out new networks with next-gen technologies and services.

 

With LTE, maximizing spectrum bandwidth can contribute towards strategic savings in “when” and “where” operators deploy larger data capacity (and ultimately LTE) in their network.

 

The key to effective spectrum planning and management is to be able to free spectrum without impacting the existing performance of the network and its customers. The use of mobile measurement reports (MMRs), correlation of BSICs, optimisation of power parameters and neighbour relationships enable operators to free necessary spectrum for the deployment of HSPA or LTE capacity – vital, given the rapid increase in data growth.  AIRCOM has found that up to one third of radio configuration settings may be improperly set, giving slower uplink/downlink speeds.

 

To free 3G/HSPA/LTE networks for data, operators need to have the option of moving all voice traffic to their 2G networks if required, and effective spectrum management makes this possible. We have been able to save operators up to half of their anticipated spectrum CAPEX costs by optimizing their systems.  These type of savings will be vital for operators moving to LTE, given the cost-intensive nature of upgrading network equipment.

  

Ricky Watts speaks to BNet TV in Barcelona

Continuing our series of coverage from Mobile World Congress, here's Ricky Watts speaking with our good friend, Michelle Sklar, from BNet TV on the hot topics from Mobile World Congress and the latest developments from AIRCOM.

 

 

Tip of the Week: Migrating to LTE Can Be Complex. What Do Operators Need to Ensure a Smooth Transition?

 

Migrating to LTE will require an unprecedented level of network management sophistication from operators to grapple with the different layers of multi-vendor, multi-technology infrastructure.

Among the layers to consider are: 1) 2G and 3G optimisation, since these legacy networks will remain operational for several more years; 2) spectrum re-farming; 3) network-sharing to reduce CAPEX and OPEX; 4) device validation to ensure new 4G phones can access the network; 5) vendor management for network outsourcing; and 6) SON (Self Organising Network) implementation.

On top of these layers, there is LTE backhaul and rollout planning as well as testing and evaluating the network as it is deployed.

What do operators need to ensure a smooth LTE transition?  They need proven expertise and technology solutions that address all of these areas of LTE migration.  Rather than find partners that address single components (e.g. radio planning tools, automatic cell optimisers, project management tools, etc.), operators should seek out a partner that understands and addresses all of these areas in their offerings.

At Mobile World Congress, AIRCOM demonstrated a service and technology solution called LTE Fast Track that serves this purpose.

To find out more about how AIRCOM helps operators all over the world prepare their networks for 4G migration and fast-track their LTE deployments, contact lte@aircominternational.com

MWC2010: AIRCOM's CTO, Ricky Watts, on Telecom TV

See our very own Ricky Watts, AIRCOM's CTO, discussing the challenges of the journey to 4G on Telecom TV, alongside Michael O'Hara, CMO of the GSMA and Telstra's CTO, Hugh Bradlow.

Tip of the week: How Does Being a GSM-Versus CDMA-based Network Affect the Timing of LTE Rollouts?

Marty Smuin, president of the Americas for AIRCOM International, discusses how GSM- and CDMA-based carriers will roll out their LTE networks and the factors that will drive each type of carrier to migrate their networks.

 

 

 

Tip of the week: What Do the Next Five Years Hold for North American Carriers and LTE?

Marty Smuin, president of the Americas for AIRCOM International, discusses what the future holds for carriers in North America and differentiating their offerings on price, devices, quality of service and technology (if they all roll out LTE).

 

 

Tip of the week: Why many operators will defer LTE migration for some time yet

 
 
 Stating the obvious, migrating to LTE is going to be a very expensive excercise for mobile operators.  Those with strong cash positions, like Verizon and DoCoMo, will be able to accelerate their LTE network investments, while others bide their time.

For most operators, the capacity benefits provided by HSPA, coupled with a simple, cost‑effective evolution to HSPA+, will enable them to defer their LTE migration for years.

These operators will squeeze further capacity out of their investment in HSPA technology and only move into LTE if they absolutely have no other alternative options to meet capacity demands. These operators will look harder for cost-saving ways to improve the performance of their 2G and 3G network layers and sweat the assets they have, to maximise returns in these challenging economic times.

2010 Predictions: Carriers will Rethink Their In-Building Network Coverage and Backhaul for Mobile Broadband

 
 
Continuing our year-end tip series on predictions for 2010, we cover how carriers will rethink their in-building network coverage and backhaul plans.

Prediction #4: Mobile broadband networks will be increasingly in-building and will require pico or femto cellular solutions for both coverage and capacity.

High-bandwidth mobile broadband services are generally nomadic and not fully mobile.  In fact, they are becoming increasingly in-building.  As a result, mobile broadband networks are likely to need pico or femto cellular solutions for both coverage and capacity.  This “evolution” requires new thinking in terms of the backhaul from in-building sites.

While still complying with lawful intercept legislation, core network nodes will need to move closer to the network edge to enable traffic to be processed and routed more cost effectively.  Legacy networks such as 3G/HSPA and GSM will need to evolve using these principles.  Carriers will need to examine the best way to integrate 3G/HSPA into their new thinking for a flat IP architecture as well as when to migrate GSM systems to either 3G/HSPA or LTE in the same spectrum.

What is clear is that the evolution of the network will require carriers to test many scenarios to ascertain the lowest cost per bit of delivery.  In addition, they will need to spend CAPEX to deploy that network, as a higher priority to any short-term gains made from network sharing and/or operations outsourcing.

2010 Predictions: Carriers will Struggle to Realise the Cost-Reducing Potential of “Flat” IP

 

Continuing our year-end tip series on predictions for 2010, we cover the challenges to realizing the benefits of LTE’s “flat” IP architecture.

Prediction #3: Unless carriers deploy a high-bandwidth, Ethernet and IP/MPLS access and distribution network using fibre, they will not realize the true cost-reducing potential of “flat” IP.

First, there is a point of clarification: LTE is not flat; it’s flatter.

The RNC (radio network controller) is now amalgamated into the e-NodeB (which is responsible for providing the air interface channels for a mobile handset to listen and attach to a network) with the mobility and packet-core functions now residing in the MME (Mobility Management Entity), serving-gateway and PDN-gateway. So, with these new nodes, will better network costs be the result? Probably not.

Reason being, at least initially, the issue is that the serving gateway and PDN gateway will be nothing more than software upgrades to the carriers’ existing SGSN (Serving GPRS Support Node) and GGSN (Gateway GPRS Support Node), which -- at present -- are not based on the large-scale IP-MPLS (Multiprotocol Label Switching) router platforms that constitute the core networks of large DSL/ISP or fixed network providers.

The e-NodeBs now need to have multiple IP tunnels between them to facilitate handover, creating an IP complexity in the access network that has never existed in the past. Until carriers deploy a high‑bandwidth, Ethernet, and IP/MPLS access and distribution network using fiber, either shared or self-built, it is unlikely that the true cost reducing potential of “flat” IP will ever be realized.   In addition, simply adding LTE/EPC functionality to the existing network nodes is not enough; the specified 3GPP functionality of the EPC needs to be pushed closer to the edge of the network to enable true, flat IP networks for the transport of data across and between networks.

Tip of the week: Network Planning Vs OSS Solutions Vs Outsourcing - What Are Carriers Prioritizing with Tight Budgets?

With difficult economic times and ever-constricting budgets, carriers are forced to prioritize where they spend their dollars.  When confronted with choosing between advanced network planning for future technologies versus performance management OSS solutions to make their networks more efficient versus outsourcing network management, carriers are making clear decisions about what is important to them. Working with more than half of the world's carriers, AIRCOM comments on how carriers in both emerging and mature markets grapple with these decisions to reduce OPEX and meet rising customer expectations for service delivery. What is most important to operators today? Getting ready for LTE, or extracting the benefit from their existing networks? Or both??? if you are experiencing difficulty with the image link above please click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8PWsKisfa0

AIRCOM Insights: SON - adventures beyond the wire

SON, or Self Organised Networks, are a bit like the HBO hit TV series “The Wire”: you may not know all the details (maybe you‘ve not even heard about it) but people tell you it’s one of the most significant things to happen in recent years. And let’s start by getting the terminology right: SON stands for Self Organised Networks and NOT Self Optimising Networks. The difference is key, since optimisation is only one piece of a larger picture. But let’s move past  grammatical correctness and the adventures of Jimmy McNulty (try Wikipedia), and get onto what SON is and where  it came from.

It all starts with  OPEX. Network OPEX is a very significant expenditure for Mobile Network Operators (MNOs). It can range from 30% of the total budget of an up and coming player, to around 50% of a mature MNO. Operators obviously want to reduce it, but it’s not easy. Network OPEX is made of several components, some of which can be easily optimised (reducing employee headcount, for example) and some which can’t be changed so easily ( the cost of electricity, for example). The  OPEX part of interest here is the ‘Operational’ component. This is everything from the configuration of the network elements to the optimisation of its parameters. This is where SON originated.

The SON initiative came from the operators themselves as a means to reduce longer term costs. The body spearheading SON development is the NGMN Alliance (Next Generation Mobile Networks) - AIRCOM is a member. SON was then embraced and pushed forward by the equipment vendors - it was necessary , in order to keep up with a market rapidly moving towards LTE. To develop SON has cost the vendors a lot of R&D money. That means that SON-enabled kit is more costly than a non-SON network element. While the operators may not wish to pay more, the inevitability is that they will have no choice when the equipment is delivering such great efficiencies.

Stepping back a bit, let’s see what the fuss is all about. Well, the premise of a Self-Organised Network is one where someone puts a shiny cabinet of the latest and greatest SON eNB (the new LTE base stations), switches the thing on and is then mesmerised by all the flickering lights while the mighty eNB configures itself and brings itself to life. All the necessary IP stuff is setup, the neighbour lists are drawn from the nearby mobiles and voila! It’s alive! That’s actually the easy part. Where SON strays into the realm of present-day fantasy is where SON promises to be “self healing”... It sounds messianic, but it only refers to a cluster of elements which reconfigure themselves to continue operating in the event of a major malfunction in one of them. Still, it’s something that for many of us is still beyond the realms of possibility. For now, at least.

But,  back in the real world, your CTO or your Network Director has told you that he wants SON. Who do you turn to? Well, of course you need to talk to the equipment vendors because, in the end, they have to provide the equipment to make SON happen. But you should also speak to AIRCOM. We don’t promise miracles, and we’re not going to build any boxes for you, but we do have the products that can extract the parameters from the elements, the products which can let you plan, verify or optimise them and the products needed to send those parameters back to the network. AIRCOM is already developing some exciting SON prototypes and has a partnership with Huawei that we anticipate will bring us one step closer to the SON reality.

 

When do you think SON will become a reality? How much OPEX can potentially be saved? Will it really replace network operating teams, or is that a fantasy? Tell us what you think!

DR, Group Pre-Sales Manager

AIRCOM's European channel partners

 

AIRCOM’s European channel manager, gives us an insight into AIRCOM’s channel strategy through the region.

Here at AIRCOM, we are proud to count a number of excellent sales channels as an AIRCOM ethos when doing business locally. Some of our partners, such as Enkom Inventis in Switzerland and ASI in Bulgaria offer dedicated teams who provide first line support when needed, meaning the customer receives local support in local language.

In Hungary, our channel partner Koonsys has systems integration experience that AIRCOM has also been able to use outside of Hungary, with tier one operators throughout Eastern Europe.

 

In some countries, such as Poland and Turkey, we have both a channel partner and an account manager. While the account manager is ultimately responsible for sales in their particular country, they work very closely with the channel manager to close business in the region. In some countries such as Sweden and Spain the account manager is also the channel manager. AIRCOM account managers are typically responsible for business in several countries and cannot be physically everywhere, so in these situations, having a channel partner adds huge value in terms of maintaining existing customer relationships.

AIRCOM takes great care to ensure that our own regional channel managers ensure our partners have access to the latest sales collateral & pricing and offering general sales support, and we employ strict diligence to ensure that our partners meet our strict criteria to deliver the ultimate level of customer service to operators, who are looking to boost network performance by integrating AIRCOM's range of network management tools and services into their network infrastructure.

Our partners range from small operations who have a particular skill set that matters in their country, or have key contacts in target accounts, through to systems integrators who compliment AIRCOM by providing first line support, training, consulting or even integration services.

Our existing European partner network covers: Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Poland, Hungary, Serbia, Bulgaria, Lithuania, Scandinavia, Turkey and Israel, and in 2009, we have taken on five new partners in Romania, Spain, Sweden, Lithuania (covering all the Baltic states) and Hungary.

We are currently looking for partners in Czech Republic and Slovenia. Please contact graham.leigh@aircominternational.com if you feel that you may fit the bill.

AIRCOM Shorts: Have you seen our YouTube Channel?

....http://www.youtube.com/aircomint takes you right to it. We're constantly updating this channel, but here you can see some of AIRCOM's key team members talking about their products, AIRCOM services and the telecoms industry as a whole.

Recently, we've added some stuff about the strategy behind our ENTERPRISE product suite:

 

And some stuff about the future of LTE:

An overview on our microwave planning product, CONNECT:

 

And information on how AIQ can provide a network 'health check':

 

We'll run another monthly recap as to what's new in early December. Otherwise you can go direct to our channel from here.

Tip of the week: For Operators to Remain Competitive in a Crowded Market, LTE Offers a Solution

In part three of a three-part video series on LTE, AIRCOM CTO Ricky Watts discusses how -- for some global operators -- migrating to LTE is necessitated by competitive market pressures.

Both Verizon in the U.S. and NTT in Japan are adopting LTE as a competitive differentiator because it enables them to “leapfrog” other operators with HSDPA networks that deliver higher 3G mobile broadband speeds than EVDO or CDMA.

 

 

To find out more about AIRCOM’s LTE consultancy and its new “Cost of LTE Calculator” for operators looking to adopt the new technology,

Tip of the week: Will LTE Relieve the Mounting Pressure on Global Operators?

In part one of a three-part video series on LTE, AIRCOM CTO Ricky Watts discusses the mounting pressure on global operators to reduce the cost of delivering mobile broadband to consumers.

With trends toward network sharing and industry consolidation, along with increasing strain on networks with the exponential proliferation of smartphones, global operators are deeply investigating LTE as the only way to meet consumer demand for bandwidth.