End-to-End Network Optimization Solutions

Network quality regains attention along with network construction and availability of voice, data, video and other services. How to allow user to experience smooth and efficient network services? How to improve user adhesion with excellent service experience? The network construction and optimization personnel of operators are facing network optimization challenges distinct from those in the 2G era.

Which will dominate service experience, voice or data?

In the 3G era, voice services have withdrawn to an inferior ranking among the primary services, data services of various types have more and more become the cure-all for operators to attract uses and improve their ARPU. Statistics indicate that data services now account for over 20% revenues of the mobile operators around the world, and over 17% in China.

However, because the 2G era was dominated by voice services, therefore, more attention was given to coverage, capacity and quality of voice calls during network construction and optimization. Network optimization was focused on RF performance and optimization, particularly improvement of KPIs experienced by to voice service customers. Nowadays, the development of data and multimedia services has exposed deficiencies in the traditional network optimization practices.

During the early phase of GPRS/EGRPS network construction, the 2G practices were still followed to improve RF performance and optimization indicators. However, there was significant contrast between end user experience and network indicators --- end users still complained about poor experience while network indicators were high.

Thorough analysis indicates that end users of data services are concerned about speed, ease-of-use, reliability, etc. They are subject to the impact of network quality on the services, which contributed to the abovementioned contrast. To avert this contrast, the traditional network optimization practices have to be revised.

Authoritative experts have noted that the traditional network optimization practices, which are passive, remedial and segmented, risk an impact on devastatingly large users in current networks with ever-changing services. They already fall short of the needs of current networks, and only continuous active network optimization can ensure good customer experience.

End-to-end network optimization is an inevitable trend

By now, many equipment suppliers have put forth the concept of “end-to-end network optimization” based on past optimization experience. The so-called end-to-end network optimization means that the service side initiates the requirement for optimization, and subsequently drives end-to-end optimization of radio networks, core networks and transmission networks, to meet the needs of 3G users’ experience(as shown in the figure below).

Network elements involved in end-to-end optimization

Generally, when an end user experience a service, the service will be delivered through the entire network; therefore, all network elements involved in the process are nodes to be involved in the network optimization. It is important to break down optimization indicators, set up a complete end-to-end assessment system for data services and appropriately give their weights, as so many network elements are involved.

Trial of operator capabilities

At present, the end-to-end network optimization concept has been accepted by many telecom operators. Customers start to consider optimization approaches during 3G construction and resolve problems arising during provision of services from the perspectives of core networks and transmission networks. The bidding documents of some operator for 3G network construction require that the optimization of radio networks and core networks should be completed along with the construction.

However, operators come across some difficulties during promotion of end-to-end network optimization. The first difficulty is in operability. Currently in the network environments from multiple vendors, the radio side may be supplied by one vendor, the core networks and transmission networks are supplied by other vendors. It is already difficult to realize interoperability between equipment from different vendors, not to mention harmonized optimization.

Currently, the widely used practice is still “the one who supplies the equipment should optimize it”, so end-to-end network optimization poses greater challenges to the capabilities of operators for harmonization and coordination.

To tackle this difficulty, ZTE proposes the concept of “coordinated network optimization” with cross-department coordination to harmonize the support for end-to-end network optimization for operators. ZTE also plans to designate a dedicated team for network optimization with experts from different fields. Moreover, ZTE desires to provide optimization for heterogeneous equipment to accommodate urgent needs of operators.

End-to-end optimization is the best approach to improve the data service quality and end user perception in 3G networks. It deals with the impact of radio networks environments on data transmission; data services are noticeably affected by handsets and service contents, which are also covered in end-to-end optimization for assessment, analysis and optimization of data services in more comprehensive and scientific manner. The advantages of end-to-end optimization for 3G networks compensate deficiencies in the optimization practices for 2G networks, for end-to-end optimization of the terminals, radio network side, core network side, service network side and transmission networks. This optimization is done in a network-wide perspective to ensure improvement in the overall network quality and lay the foundation for successful business development. Considering the characteristics of data services, optimization is more focused on user perception and experience to give better experience to users and realize higher user adhesion for operators. Along with further 3G network construction, and availability and enrichment of 3G services, end-to-end network optimization will be a must-have of operators in ensuring service experience.