Roadmap to Operational Excellence for Next Generation Mobile Networks

Dr. Peter Meissner Operating Officer, NGMN Alliance February 22, 2011 Karlsruhe, Germany

Agenda

True Customer Value

SON, OPE, ORI

Challenges

NGMN
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Objective and scope of Operational Excellence changes through the years

Operational Excellence (OpEx) Timeframe

Operational Excellence as an instrument for controlling standardization

Operational Excellence as an instrument for controlling variety

Source: Opexgroep (www.opexgroep.nl) , NGMN

Operational Excellence as an instrument for controlling true customer value

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Operational Excellence is not only about achieving an optimized cost position

Definition Operational Excellence
Operational Excellence is a philosophy of leadership, teamwork and problem solving resulting in continuous improvement throughout the organization by focusing on the needs of the customer, empowering employees, and optimizing existing activities in the process.
Provide Customer Value Empower Employees

Operational Excellences main objective is to reduce operation cost and wastes, without affecting quality, time delivery and cost of products and services one has to offer.

Reduce Cost Improve Processes

THE OBJECTIVE OF OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE IS TO ACHIEVE TRUE CUSTOMER VALUE THROUGH HIGHLY RELIABLE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES BASED ON PROCESSES OF OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE
Source: Opexgroep, Wikipedia, Accenture, NGMN 4

Industry example Traditional Power Supply

Source: Vattenfall

Industry example Future Power Supply: Smart Grids

Network of integrated
micro grids

Demand management Smart appliances Sensors

Self monitoring and

self healing

Energy and cost

savings for suppliers and customers

Industry example Traditional Transport Systems

Industry example Intelligent Transport Systems

Vehicle-to vehicle systems Car-to-X communication Rerouting through variable

message signs

Variable speed limits with

automated enforcement

Improved safety and user

services

Reduced environmental
impact of traffic

Higher capacity

How should operations evolve in the Telecom Industry?

Source: BT

How should operations evolve in the Telecom Industry?

Source: AT&T

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Agenda revisited

True Customer Value

SON, OPE, ORI

Challenges

NGMN
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Operators and vendors face significant operational challenges

Traffic growth, capacity requirements for radio and backhaul

Efficiency

Energy consumption Number of nodes to be managed, optimised, configured increase in manual interaction Customer & service demand, roaming challenges

QoS

High performance radio & core Security concerns, system vulnerability, carrier grade availability Multi-technology networks legacy and next generation

Complexity Management

Multi-vendor environment - proprietary vs. open interfaces Multiple deployment scenarios: Macro, micro, pico, femto Fixed / Mobile convergence

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Need to increase revenue and operational efficiency

Traffic and Revenue Challenge for Operators

Illust r ative

Shift from voice dominant to data dominant business Mobile operators revenue and traffic de-coupled Need for higher efficiency and improved cost management Devices & Applications: Utilization of all assets (brain included) to generate additional revenues

TB/month International Mobile Data Traffic

Revenue

Source: Cisco, NGMN

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In the wireless area, technology evolution and introduction of new services rapidly continues
1995 and beyond: GSM experience, Wireless revolution 2000 and beyond: GPRS/EDGE experience, Mobile Internet, Mobile Data, Its not only about voice 2005 and beyond: HSPA/HSPA+ experience, Data Devices, Mobile Broadband

2006: Foundation of the NGMN Alliance 2010 and beyond: LTE experience starts, Challenge of the Mobile Internet, Mobile Telephones become Smart Devices, True Mobile Broadband at the horizon, IPv6 introduction 2015 and beyond: LTE-Advance experience, Internet of Things, from Smart Devices to Smart Living 2020 and beyond: Converged All-IP Broadband Networks become reality, Cognitive Radio in place, Connected Everything Everywhere

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Agenda revisited

True Customer Value

SON, OPE, ORI

Challenges

NGMN
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The NGMN Alliance addresses industry challenges to create a successful ecosystem

Members Approach & Characteristics NGMN

Articulates requirements and gives

guidance for future mobile broadband networks, devices & services does not develop standards

Sponsors, New Innovators, Advisors

Collates and uses the experience and

expertise of its leadership partner network to drive innovation and to develop a viable ecosystem

Promotes the adoption of NGMN

technologies by the industry and users

Business driven Against fragmentation End-to-end view Next Generation focus

Status:1.01.2011 16

LTE launches by NGMN Operators

Operator
AT&T China Mobile Deutsche Telekom KDDI LG U+ NTT DOCOMO SK Telecom USA China Germany Japan

Country

Launch Date/Comment
Q2/Q3 2011 Q2 2010 / TD-LTE Showcase Network Q2 2011 / Digital Dividend (800MHz Band) 2012 Q3 2011 Q4 2010, Service called Xi (Crossy) Q3 2011, focus on Metropolitan Areas Q4 2009 / First commercial LTE Network Q4 2011 Q4 2010 / Digital Dividend (800MHz Band)
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South Korea Japan South Korea Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Norway and Sweden Australia

Vodafone

Germany (& USA)

Source: Public announcements, press clippings

Role and activities of NGMN

Analysis of technical frameworks and relevant solutions Development of performance targets Requirements definition based on use cases Identification of gaps in standards Contribution to SDOs & Industry Associations Development of implementation guidelines Active communication on the technologys performance, availability and customer benefits
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NGMN drives industry development

Critical Role of NGMN Successful offering:

Operator community leads the requirement definition to ensure that customers needs and expectations on mobile broadband are fulfilled

Source: Y. Sha (China Mobile)/ NGMN Industry Conference 2010, NGMN

t, ymen s Deplo tion  a Oper

NGMN  Requirements 

Viable ecosystem, scale:

Testing & Trials 

NGMN actively drives requirement alignment, technology standard convergence to guarantee industry scale

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Operations improvements have been an essential requirement from the beginning

NGMN White Paper

Operations Requirements out of NGMN Whitepaper

The traditional O&M functionality is seen as an integral part of this selforganising concept and as such the next generation mobile networks shall organise its own resources in an automatic and optimal manner to increase overall network quality and performance. The O&M related solutions shall also be very effective and highly cost-optimised to especially minimise the need for manual intervention and hence ongoing operator resources. An obvious, yet indispensable recommendation for the commercial launch of next generation mobile networks is that their self organising systems including O&M functionality must support all tasks needed to provide carrier grade quality from inception, providing a state-of-the-art standardised architecture and easily operated open and standardised interfaces. In order to minimise complexity and cost, all interfaces shall be fully open and standardised for multi-vendor equipment interoperability with the absolute minimum set of options. Where options do exist, the interfaces should be functionally able to negotiate different support levels in a fully compatible way.
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Definition of requirements within NGMN White Paper drafted 2005, ratified and published by the NGMN Board in 2006. Work Groups, Projects, Taskforces based on these requirements

Numerous activities have been based on initial NGMN Whitepaper requirements

Activities in the Area of Operations 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Next Generation Mobile Networks Use Cases related to Self Organising Networks, Overall Description Published May 2007

Project: Multi-Vendor RAN, 2008 / 2009

NGMN Recommend. on SON and O&M Requirements

Published Dec. 2008

Project: Open Baseband Unit Remote Radiohead Interface, ETSI ISG ORI, April 2009

Project: Operational Efficiency and Top OPE Requirements

Project : Next Generation Converged Operations Requirements launched February 2011

Published Sept. 2010

Industry Conference & Exhibition

Public Conference Contributions

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Agenda revisited

True Customer Value

SON, OPE, ORI

Challenges

NGMN
22

Development towards SON

Source: Deutsche Telekom

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SON use cases defined by NGMN close co-operation with Socrates

Plug & Play Installation Automatic Neighbour Relationship (ANR) Configuration OSS Integration (Fully Standardised Northbound Configuration-, Alarm- and Performance- Management) Handover Optimisation (Mobility Robustness Optimisation) Minimisation of Drive Tests (MDT) Cell Outage Compensation Load Balancing Energy Saving Interaction Home/Macro BTS QoS Optimisation
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Source: Project Operational Efficiency, F. Lehser (DTAG)

Project Operational Efficiency and the Top OPE Recommendations

NGMNs Top OPE Recommendations, Consolidated outcome of the project Operational Efficiency addressing SON and O&M, published September 2010
Enhancement of Trace Funct.

Self Organizing Networks

Perform. Mgmt. Enhancements

Energy Saving

eNodeB Plug & Play

OSS Standard Northbound Interface

Quality & Quantity of Alarms

Automatic SW Management

O&M
Standardized interface, plug&play, SOA / NGOSS, support of LTE parameters & SON use cases, modeling & setting, efficient IRP groupings, inventory, conformance checking

Project Operat. Efficiency

SON in Core Network, QoS optimisation, minimisation of drive tests, HO optimisation, load balancing, common channel optimisation, macro-home interworking, cell outage compensation, energy saving

SON

Automatic Inventory
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Top OPE Recomm.

OSS Tool Support for Optimisation & Operation

Project Next Generation Converged Operations Requirements (NGCOR)- focus on O&M / OSS
Drivers for NGCOR:
Further enhancement of NGMN Top OPE Recommendations: Fully standardized interfaces & enhanced interworking solutions throughout O&M/OSS O&M requirements for converged wireline/wireless networks Guidance to SDOs (3GPP, TMF, ): Resolve misalignments and close gaps in relevant standards Overall objective: Faster time to market, more efficient operations, low integration cost

Project Sub-Tasks
OSS Requirements for Fault Management on the Northbound Interface Focus on EMS-NMS interface Delivery of OSS Requirements for Inventory Management Operator governance and tooling requirements for converged and aligned management interface specifications OPE recommendation for Converged Networks
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Network Operators position stated in a letter to TMF and 3GPP (issued February 2011)
Starting point and challenges for Network Operators Increasing demand to maintain and improve customer experience requires full end-to-end service management and hence, multi-technology and multi-vendor network management capabilities. Automation is key - Standardization is a must Cooperative, federated interface definition: all involved parties agree on one common information framework on a certain model level and acting as an umbrella for end-to-end management purposes. This umbrella should allow for federation / integration of the various network resource information models mobile and fixed, today an d in future.
The key responsibility of the NGMN Alliance is to define and align Network Operator requirements. Relevant SDOs develop standards in line with these requirements. Industry (Telco and OSS) is requested to implement these standards.

management functions (OSS) network related functions

Proposal and next steps Joint development of optimal interface standards (e.g. information model, transfer protocols, bidirectional message formats and semantics) supported by widely accepted specification methods and adequate tools. Telco and OSS industry must drive the development and be fully committed to the common results. Ultimate target is zero integration tax! Network Operators must clearly define and state their business and functional requirements most suitable through a common forum like the NGMN Alliance. Full letter at: http://ftp.3gpp.org/ftp/tsg_sa/TSG_SA/TSGS_50/Docs/SP-100839.zip
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Smart Deployment with Smart Antennas and the Open Radio Equipment Interface (ORI)

The Past: Conventional BTS

Passive Antennas

The Present: Remote Radio Head

Passive Antennas

The Future: Antenna Embedded Radio

RET Masthead Amplifiers

COAX Jumpers

RET

COAX Cables Base Station Server Remote Radio Head

Base Station Server

Heavy Coaxial Cable

Source: Ubidyne

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Open Radio Equipment Interface (ORI): What it will enable in the future

RRH RRH RRH RRH RRH

Remote radio head (RRH) Open BBU-RRH interface / ORI

RRH BBU
Radio equipment control = Baseband Unit (BBU)

BBU
Source: NTT DOCOMO, A. Neubacher (T-Mobile), NGMN 29

ORI as the basis for multi-vendor deployment and operation scenarios

Drivers for Open Radio Equipment Interface (ORI) Advantages Remote Radio Head deployment: Fibres easy to run with low space consumption. Spare capacity for extensions Nearly no constrains in fibre length
Layer 1

Overview ORI Standardisation

Layer 3
refined from CPRI Spec by ETSI ORI Refined CPRI specification by ETSI

Layer 2

Out of scope of ETSI ORI (referenced from CPRI)

Flexibility in antenna placement Higher power efficiency However, currently no interoperability between BBU and RRH allowing multi-vendor solutions
Source: A. Neubacher (T-Mobile), NGMN

OBRI project launched within NGMN, later transferred to ETSI to continue work on the detailed specification CPRI covers Layer 1 and 2, ETSI ORI will additionally specify C&M Layer
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The NGMN Alliance beyond 2010

Overview Work Areas and potential topics

Share experiences from initial deployment to identify gaps

Deployment Aspects Operational Efficiency

Provide requirements to drive future technology enhancements

Ensure global alignment to avoid fragmentation and to build scale

Application Enablers SDO Alignment

Network Architecture

Spectrum

Devices

Trials, trial result sharing FDD/TD-LTE convergence Antenna design and configuration

SON use cases OSS interfaces OSS for converged networks

Backhaul Centralized RAN Heterogenious networks

Global spectrum harmonisation Bandwidth aggregation

Multi-mode, multi-band devices Certification

QoS API standardisation Smart networks

Standards evolution (LTE-A) Technology evaluation Voice over LTE NGRAI

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SDO Alignment
NGMN will drive and follow up development of SON, OPE, ORI etc. in SDOs support and input come from several work areas
Deployment Aspects Operational Efficiency Network Architecture Spectrum Devices Application Enablers

SDO Alignment

Development of the standard for the Open Radio equipment Interface in ETSI ISG ORI OSS related standards for next generation networks information frameworks, software interfaces, process frameworks Development and integration of SON and OPE functionality into standards: Rel. 8
Self-conf. procedures

Rel. 9
SON procedures Energy Saving for Intra-RAT

Rel.10
Extended SON features MDT basic features

Rel. 11 (features t.b.d.)

MDT enhancements SON for Relays & Carrier Aggregation
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Energy Saving extensions SON for LTE-A features 3G-ANR ...

Agenda revisited

True Customer Value

SON, OPE, ORI

Challenges

NGMN
33

Summary

THE OBJECTIVE OF OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE IS TO ACHIEVE TRUE CUSTOMER VALUE THROUGH HIGHLY RELIABLE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES BASED ON PROCESSES OF OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE
Challenges to work on are: Reliability Management Recovery Management Change Management Service Management Collection Management Performance Management (QoS, GoS for NGRAI) . Customer Experience & Relationship Management for truly converged networks in a connected world - including smart devices, smart cars, smart homes, smart grids

The NGMN Alliance is well positioned to drive this work programme - you are the experts: Get involved and contribute!
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Thank You