Mobile Network Optimization

The right approach to 3G Network Optimization is even more important today under the explosion of wireless data services enabled by the successful adoption of smartphones and flat-rate data cards. 3G operators must make sure they have the right strategies in place to increase network capacity and network performance while minimizing infrastructure investments and overall operations costs.

The ability to find the right balance between Quality of Service, network performance and cost of operations as traffic loads increase is a competitive advantage the 3G operators can no longer ignore if they want to succeed.
 

From a technical perspective, the main challenges that operators are facing today are related to the dramatic changes to 3G usage profiles including: a 10-fold growth in data traffic; the exponential growth of indoor mobile phone usage; and a significant increase in interferences introduced with HSDPA deployment.

In addition to these challenges, operators have to cope with the lack of 3G-specific skilled resources available in the organization;  creeping OPEX costs associated with performance engineers overtime; and avoidance of new CAPEX related to new network elements (RNC, eNodeB) - all without compromising the quality of the end-user experience.

Techniques that worked well in the past for the optimization and troubleshooting of 2G and 2.5G networks aren’t adequate in helping operators understand their network performance issues in today’s 3G environment. Drive test and OSS-based optimization techniques used in 2 and 2.5 operations are no longer enough. Results from these testing techniques are often misleading and don’t provide enough information about the end-user experience for the operator to make informed decisions on the requirements for new network resources.

Tektronix Communications’ approach to 3G network optimization is based on more than 20 years of customer experience in wireless network protocol analysis and a recognized industry leadership position in 3G performance measurement and KPIs analysis. Recommended solutions are deployed in some of the world’s largest mobile networks and provide the path for a successful transition from yesterday’s operations to today’s 3G testing techniques