Expanding SON into the Mobile Backhaul Network from our ... - Tellabs

WHITE PAPERExpanding SON into the Mobile Backhaul NetworkEven though customer demand for mobile bandwidthcontinues to increase exponentially with no signs of stopping,network operators still have to find ways to cut operationalcosts to remain profitable. It’s an age-old dilemma: How cana service provider reduce operational expenses while stayinginnovative and keeping the customers happy?One solution for mobile network operators lies in self-organizingnetworks (SONs). Mobile radio equipment manufacturersbegan building SON standards into their products in 2009.Since then, network operators have begun incorporating SONtechnology into their radio access networks (RANs) in aneffort to increase automation, reduce capital and operationalexpenses (CapEx and OpEx), and improve quality of service(QoS). These operators are realizing quantifiable savings,including reduced maintenance costs and improved servicedelivery intervals. SON is a key concept in Long Term Evolution(LTE) networks. Mobile operators are applying SONfirst in LTE mobile RANs and standards are specified first forLTE simply because base stations account for such a largepart of their expenses.Operators have a significant opportunity to expand SON, notonly into 2G and 3G RANs, but also into mobile backhaulnetworks. This white paper takes a brief look at the successof SON in LTE networks and explores how the concept can beextended to backhaul networks. It will discuss the drivers forSON in the backhaul network and examine at a high level howSON can be implemented beyond the mobile RAN.Explosive Growth in Mobile Traffic Demands AutomationIn recent years demand for mobile connectivity, particularly dataservices, has exploded. By some industry estimates, mobile datatraffic in 2011 was about eight times the size of the entire globalInternet in 2000. According to an independent research andconsulting firm Infonetics Research:• The number of mobile phones is on track to exceed the globalpopulation by 2016• Data traffic, driven largely by IP video, is growing at 40% to 100%a year;• And yet, 2011 average revenue per user fell in every region of theglobe. 1Increasing demand combined with decreasing revenue makesreducing operating costs even more crucial for network operators.SON can help operators reduce costs by increasing automationwhile providing them control over when to use that automation. Italso makes networks easier to plan, deploy, optimize and maintain.SON with the goal of increasing automation is not new. However, thestandards for implementing the technology are a relatively recentdevelopment. In the LTE concept, SON was first highlighted as acrucial capability in 2006 by the Next Generation Mobile NetworksAlliance (NGMN). Since then, the Third Generation Partnership Project(3GPP) has been developing specific SON standards with Releases8, 9 and 10 providing specifications for mobile equipment vendors.In the RAN, base station installation and maintenance is a goodexample of how a network operator can use SON to reduce OpEx. Ina typical RAN, operators need highly skilled, well-trained engineersusing specialized toolsets to install and commission base stations.Every time a problem occurs with the installation, that skilledengineer may need to visit the cell site again to diagnose and correctthe problem. As a result of an additional site visit, the operatoralmost doubles the site-related installation expenses. Clearly, innetworks where cell sites are multiplying – yet shrinking in size – onsiteengineer visits are not only cost-prohibitive, but also introducingsignificant delays to the rollout program and time to revenue.With SON, a technician can install equipment at the cell site. Afterthat, it can be configured from an operator’s central location usingautomatically established connections to the operation supportsystems as well as automatic configuration and authenticationfeatures. This capability reduces training time for technicians,eliminates the potential for human error, and cuts the time it takes toturn up new sites. In addition, SON offers full potential for reducingenergy consumption through automatic turn off features of selectedsites, which should serve only atspecified busy hours.Companies like Ericsson and Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) begandelivering SON-capable mobile radio equipment in 2009, andnetwork operators already have begun to reap the benefits. Ericssonestimates that SON features have resulted in 40% faster rollouts,and as much as a 90% reduction in daily maintenance for new LTEnetworks among its customers. 2 Similarly, NSN’s network operatorcustomers, who are using SON to balance network congestion in theRAN, have seen a dramatic reduction in the number of dissatisfiedcustomers — down to just 2% from 10%. 31“Fundamental Telecom and Datacom Market Drivers Biannual Analysis of Global and Regional Market Trends and Conditions, June 14, 2012,” Infonetics Research,http://www.infonetics.com/cgp/lp.asp?id=6352Ericsson white paper, “Smarter Self-Organizing Networks,” p. 3, http://www.ericsson.com/res/docs/whitepapers/WP-Self-Organizing-Networks.pdf3Nokia Siemens Networks white paper, “Self-Organizing Network,” p. 8, http://www.nokiasiemensnetworks.com/sites/default/files/document/son_white_paper_online.pdfSee tellabs.com for more information about Tellabs Solutions

2 EXPANDING SON INTO THE MOBILE BACKHAUL NETWORKServiceprovisioningServicedefenitionServicetestingNetworkresourceallocation24hr supportand reporting(SLAs)Networkbuilding anddocumentationServicechangesNetworkoptimizationand planningNetworkfaults andperformanceFigure 1: Network and service life cycleThe Need for SON in the Backhaul NetworkWith the demand for bandwidth growing exponentially in mobilenetworks, the backhaul network easily becomes the bottleneck forthe increasing voice, data and video traffic. At the same time, thetransition from TDM to packet technologies, with the aim to drive thecost per bit down, has increased the backhaul network complexity.Increased complexity is most certainly taking a toll on the mobileoperator’s ability to remain profitable. Under these conditions it ischallenging for network operators to roll out LTE networks and increasethe backhaul capacity quickly enough to keep up with customerdemand as well as to do that in economically sustainable manner.The network and service life cycle consists of various and oftencomplex operational tasks, which need to be efficiently managedby the operator. The operational side is even more essential andcritical in the access networks, where the number of elements is ashigh as tens of thousands of devices, and the need for changes andadjustments is regular.Most of these tasks, starting from network planning and deploymentto service creation, updates, maintenance and reporting, need tobe linked together so that the operator has constantly an up-to-dateunderstanding of the network status at all levels. The main phasescould be outlined as follows:• Service provisioning and change management as frequent andtime-consuming processes call for intelligent and easy to usemanagement tools to minimize the time to revenue• Service testing and verification ensure the service meets theexpectations before it is handed off to use• Reporting as part of the service delivery and network maintenanceprovides the relevant and accurate data on the network andservice performance• Fault and availability management focuses on keeping thenetwork operational in all conditions and speeding up possibletroubleshooting activitiesNow that the SON is being defined for the radio networks toautomate the functions at the base station sites, it solves only onepart of the overall challenge. In order to get the full benefits of theSON, both radio and backhaul pieces must be considered. Thisdrives the need to expand the SON from radio network to backhaulas well.Overall, SON could be considered as an additional intelligenceto traditional network management concentrating on automatingrepetitive and routine tasks, which represents the most significantpart of the daily operational work.• Network planning, building, topology management anddocumentation play an important role in the network deploymentand expansion phasesSee tellabs.com for more information about Tellabs Solutions

3 EXPANDING SON INTO THE MOBILE BACKHAUL NETWORKRadioSONBackhaul1Connection23SON helps operators to:• rollout networks fast• manage bandwidth efficiently• identify and remove bottlenecks accurately• maximize capacity through intelligent and automatic trafficengineeringSON, as part of a broader smart backhaul solution, can providepowerful analytics that enable delivery of the right bandwidth to theright users at the right time. Adding all this kind of intelligence andautomation can reverse the trend of declining profits.Implementing SON in the Backhaul NetworkApplying SON in the backhaul network will help operators reduceboth CapEx and OpEx. On the CapEx side, the potential to savemoney comes from better network planning. And more efficientdeployment, optimization and network utilization will help reduceOpEx. Implementing SON in the backhaul network requires themobile operator to use a SON-capable network managementsystem (NMS) together with smart network elements, which providethe possibility to integrate information from the RAN network forpowerful analytics.SON framework in mobile backhaul contains four main areas,which are:• planning• deployment• optimization• maintenanceFigure 2: Expanding the SON from radio network to backhaulNetwork PlanningNetwork planning is one of the most challenging tasks for mobileoperators. Adding intelligence and automation to the process resultsFigure 3: Self Organizing Networks for mobile backhaul frameworkin faster network and service build-out, lower maintenance costs,and a reduction in human error. Taking a SON-capable backhaulsolution into use, operators can preplan network elements, topology,connectivity and services, and store all potential configurations inthe network database. Then, once operators install the networkelements, they can easily upload the configurations from thedatabase to network elements. This makes the installation processmore dynamic and flexible. This way the hardware installation andnetwork configuration processes can be managed independently,which offers greater flexibility and more room to optimize.An example of using SON for network planning might include usinga network management system to automatically assign IP addressesin the network. Automation of this function decreases the amount ofinstallation time of network elements, and eliminates the possibilityof human error. This is crucial in a complex packet-based network,where an error such as an entry of a duplicate IP address couldgo unnoticed until a service outage makes the problem apparent.SON can additionally help the operator to dimension the backhaulnetwork based on intelligent planning functions. As an outputfrom the planned network configuration or bandwidth updates,the operator may, for instance, get an accurate list of the needednetwork elements and configurations, which speeds up the orderingprocess and delivery times.DeploymentA SON-capable backhaul solution can also help mobile operatorsdeploy network elements and provision services more quickly.According to one European operator, the plug-and-play deploymentmodel in RAN resulted in major improvements in network roll-outwhere the time to deploy a site improved from 2-3 hours down to10-15 minutes. This not only enables bringing the individual site upand running more quickly, but also expands the network coveragerapidly as more new sites can be installed per day with the sameresources. With the aim to minimize OpEx, operators often outsourceinstallation to third parties, which makes it even more important forthe process to be easy and independent of special tools and expertise.See tellabs.com for more information about Tellabs Solutions

4 EXPANDING SON INTO THE MOBILE BACKHAUL NETWORKPlug-and-play installation and operator configurable workflowwizards in the NMS can deliver a streamlined process forintegrating network element discovery, interface configurations,and connectivity provisioning into seamless, automated workflow.This process can be used to automate installation of thousands ofbackhaul network elements, which reduces the need for specializedoperations personnel, and enables faster network rollout. Sincemanual coordination can be avoided, the installation time can becut from days to minutes and manual errors eliminated. Also, theinstallation personnel do not need any special skills or tools whichenable easy task outsourcing. The configuration set-up can eitherbe fully automated with no user involvement or semi-automatic if thenetwork operator prefers to maintain control over certain aspects ofthe installation process.In addition to using the wizard features of a SON-capable backhaulsolution to automatically install and fully configure a networkelement in the backhaul network, the operator could also use suchfeatures to test the connectivity to the cell site and ensure that trafficdelivery is meeting service-level agreement (SLA) requirements. Thistest and verification task would optimally be part of the installationprocedure. Moreover, as part of the deployment workflow, theoperator may choose to discover neighboring network elements,and if needed to update software versions on various networkelements in the backhaul network. As part of the deploymentprocess, the NMS could then send a short message service (SMS)text or an email to the technician indicating that the installation wassuccessful, and that traffic is being delivered. This eliminates theneed for consecutive site visits, which are major OpEx contributors,and culprits for project delays.This kind of deployment automation will undoubtedly lead toquantifiable savings in the backhaul network. With networkoperators reporting that SON in the RAN results in 40% fasterrollouts, and as much as a 90% reduction in daily maintenance fornew LTE networks, it’s a safe bet that similar results can be achievedin the backhaul portion of the network.OptimizationFor network operators to realize operational savings in the backhaulnetwork, network and service delivery optimization is essential.A SON-capable backhaul solution can help operators to manageoperating costs and bandwidth, and in addition use the availablebandwidth in the most efficient and fair manner.The SON-capable backhaul solution can deliver very accuratenetwork utilization and traffic trending reports, which operatorscan use to monitor the health of the backhaul network, and predictpotential bottlenecks before they occur. Thanks to automaticcorrelation of the backhaul network analytics with the informationgathered from the base stations, the operator can get a verysophisticated and accurate view on how the backhaul networkimpacts the radio network performance and even end-users. Usingthis information, the operator can reallocate resources to head offpotential network or service disruptions.The backhaul network is not always static in terms of the availablecapacity. This is the case, for instance, with adaptive microwaveradios, with which the available capacity is dependent andadjusted based on the prevailing weather conditions. This poses achallenge for the operator, who must carefully manage the qualityof experience delivered to end-users in all circumstances. A smartbackhaul solution understands these bandwidth dynamics and hasa full control over the traffic management.Operational costs are not only network management and site visitrelated expenses, but also, for instance, site powering related costs.Smart network elements are first of all developed according to strictpower efficiency criteria, but additionally they provide flexible optionsfor power optimization.MaintenanceOnce the backhaul network is finely tuned to operate with maximumefficiency, it is crucial to keep it running smoothly. A SON-equippedbackhaul solution can provide automated troubleshooting, faultmonitoring, and management capabilities. These features can helpnetwork operators discover and correct root causes for problems inthe network fast, and without remarkable manual intervention.While many mobile network operators have experience with TDMnetworks, packet technology with a variety of protocols is newerfor them. This means technicians are likely to need additionaltraining in order to monitor and find the root cause for faults andtroubleshoot network and service problems in the packet backhaulnetwork. By automating these processes with a set of diagnosticchecks, the network operator can save on training and personneland find the root cause faster.For example, a SON-capable backhaul solution can provideintegrated testing capabilities that can be used at the network orservice level to remotely monitor any connectivity and validate theQoS. This eliminates the need for external testing tools, which bringextra cost for the overall solution, and entails scalability limitations.If a base station in a critical place goes out of service due to connectionproblems in the mobile backhaul network, a network operatorshould be able to use a service level fault monitoring feature not onlyto watch for problems mapped to individual connections, but also toprioritize repairs. If a base station near a busy city hospital goes outof service, for example, the operator would want that fault to receivepriority automatically over a base station serving a small number ofcustomers in sparsely populated area.See tellabs.com for more information about Tellabs Solutions

5 EXPANDING SON INTO THE MOBILE BACKHAUL NETWORKThe Future of SON in the Backhaul NetworkWith industry estimates projecting that monthly global mobile datatraffic could surpass 10 exabytes by the middle of the decade,it’s clear that mobile network operators must find ways to reducespending while continuing to improve service quality and availability.In the RAN, SON technology is already showing great promise. It ishelping network operators to significantly improve service deliveryintervals, and reduce maintenance costs in LTE networks. It cutstraining time for technicians, reduces the potential for human error,improves service availability, reduces energy consumption, andpromotes self-healing capabilities in the mobile access network.Next Step:Visit http://www.tellabs.com/solutions/mobilebackhaul to access more datasheets, white papers and case studies onhow Tellabs is helping operators advancetheir backhaul networks. If you have aquestion about Tellabs Mobile Backhaulsolution, please email ask@tellabs.com.SON can do the same in mobile backhaul and core networks.Through the use of intelligent network modules integrated withexisting network databases, operations and business supportsystems, SON can help network operators to plan, deploy, optimize,and maintain backhaul networks. Tellabs is a leader in providingmanaged mobile backhaul solutions, and one jump ahead of thecompetition in expanding SON for mobile backhaul.North AmericaTellabs1415 West Diehl RoadNaperville, IL 60563U.S.A.+1 630 798 8800Fax: +1 630 798 2000Asia PacificTellabs3 Anson Road#14–01 Springleaf TowerSingapore 079909Republic of Singapore+65 6215 6411Fax: +65 6215 6422Europe, Middle East & AfricaTellabsSt Johns CourtEaston StreetHigh Wycombe, BucksHP11 1JXUnited Kingdom+44 871 574 7000Fax: +44 871 574 7151Latin America & CaribbeanTellabsRua James Joule No. 92EDIFÍCIO PLAZA ISão Paulo – SP04576-080Brasil+55 11 3572 6200Fax: +55 11 3572 6225The following trademarks and service marks are owned by Tellabs Operations, Inc., or its affiliates in the United States and/or in other countries: TELLABS ® , TELLABS and T symbol ® , T symbol ® , and SMARTCORE ® . Next G is a trademark of Telstra. Othernames may be trademarks of their respective owners.Statements herein may contain projections or other forward-looking statements regarding future events, products, features, technology and resulting commercial or technological benefits and advantages.These statements are for discussion purposes only, are subject to change and are not to be construed as instructions, product specifications, guarantees or warranties. Actual results may differ materially. The information contained herein is not acommitment, promise or legal obligation to deliver any material, code, feature or functionality. It is intended to outline Tellabs’ general product direction. The development, release and timing of any material, code, feature or functionality described hereinremains at Tellabs’ sole discretion.© 2012 Tellabs. All rights reserved. 74.2539E Rev. A 11/12