Written in collaboration with Jai Rajan and Pavan Dandapanthula, Customer Business Executives at Amdocs.
5G services represent a large step up in capability, not just capacity, and that exerts even more pressure on operators. Edge Deployment, Cloud services and applications are being offered that send, receive and process large amounts of data close to the cell site and, ultimately, the customer. For all these reasons and more, operators need to carefully plan and deploy flexible and configurable 5G services not just for now but for the future. That starts with network planning and design.
Unlike previous wireless networks, 5G networks must accommodate continuous orchestration across physical and virtual components while ensuring reliability and performance. In addition to designing networks that meet exploding demand and capacity requirements, monetizing the advanced capabilities of 5G networks requires deployment of agile, flexible and rapidly reconfigurable resources. To manage and monetize the complexity, operators need trusted partners.
From site development to commissioning and in-building distributed antenna systems (DAS), the 5G network must be built to operate seamlessly across geographies, virtual and physical resources, and existing network infrastructure. While operators are skilled at managing and optimizing networks, designing and deploying new network infrastructure requires a partner with both the experience and tools to design and build something brand new.
Augment Engineering with Proven Processes and Tools
Network planning is a complex process that relies on both human and machine intelligence to deploy expensive resources and monetize new services. Numerous network design tools are available that assist RF engineers in planning and designing radio networks. However, 5G networks are more complex than previous designs and getting the most from these new investments requires specialized tools and expertise.
Operators benefit from working with an experienced 5G partner to help with everything from vendor selection to site development and workflow management. As a preferred vendor for Tier 1 and 2 operators, Amdocs offers 5G Site Development that manages the effort from start to finish using proven processes and software platforms.
Effective radio network planning addresses coverage and capacity requirements, and at the same time, enables network expansion without the need for significant changes at existing sites. Long-term planning often fails to account for short-term issues caused by unexpected events and behaviors. Amdocs RF Design and Planning services help operators determine what mix of spectrum and technology will best deliver the right capacity, based on demand and device capabilities both now and in the future.
Using an optimization-first approach, Amdocs Network Capacity Management ensures existing network assets deliver maximum capacity, while at the same time, identifying optimal sites for upgrades and new cell placements. By providing support for multiple business scenarios, the Amdocs solution automates the complex task of prioritizing and selecting the right network capacity investments to maximize ROI.
Delivering 5G at Scale
Managing traffic volume while delivering secure and reliable services have always been priorities for operators. In partnership with Amdocs, numerous Tier 1 operators are solving 5G network planning and deployment challenges and delivering 5G at scale:
- Diverse 5G frequencies and technologies – A Tier 1 operator in North America planned to deploy 5G on mmWave TDD for the 28 GHz band using 5G mmWave, while NR600 FDD was planned for the L600 frequency using spectrum sharing. Amdocs 5G Design services reduced the antenna count by diplexing existing LTE technologies and swapping out antenna technology to deliver a higher number of available ports, improving line of sight and optimizing antenna positions.
- 5GNR and massive MIMO optimization – To deploy 5G that supports both future capacity constraints and existing challenges – such as network reliability, coverage and latency – another Tier 1 operator is employing Amdocs’ solution for massive MIMO optimization. Using end-to-end data collection, analysis and actionable recommendations based on advanced analytics, Amdocs delivered sector and location analysis, coverage and quality analysis and antenna optimization resulting in a 35% improvement in peak 5GNR throughput.
- Network Deployment – Amdocs Network Provisioning services includes tools that support all major legacy equipment vendors, Open RAN and Private Enterprise Network deployments commonly deployed by Tier 1 operators. Integration of new and modified resources as well as passive intermodulation (PIM) hunting and mitigation to reduce interference and drone-aided site audits are part of the Amdocs end-to-end network integration and commissioning services.
- Putting the pieces together – To build networks comprised of multiple vendors and technologies, Amdocs Network Workflow Management enables operators to monitor the end-to-end network rollout from design, integration and optimization to accepting and tracking human tasks, performing millions of automated checks and detecting anomalies. Amdocs Network Performance Management extends design efficiencies and the value of operator investments in big data collection systems to provide a simplified view of complex data to maximize network capacity and quality, simplify network management and achieve over 70% operational efficiencies.
With proven processes and tools for designing, deploying, integrating and managing 5G networks, Amdocs Network Planning and Deployment services are delivering complex 5G, fiber and IoT deployments at scale for operators around the world. Visit Amdocs Mobile Network services for more details.