At MWC 22, Infovista is showcasing Planet Cloud. Let’s meet with our expert Ilya Samokhin to understand how operators can scale and automate their network planning.
1. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I am a tech-sales expert and solution consultant with more than 15 years in the telecom and IT sectors. Over the years, I have developed a deep understanding of the software sales process for large and medium-sized MNOs and enterprises. I am passionate and always keen to share my knowledge in radio planning, geolocation, 5G, AI/ML, as well as RAN for all standards. Today, as a Solution Engineer at Infovista, I am contributing directly to making 5G a reality for operators around the world.
2. In a few words, how would you describe Planet Cloud?
Planet Cloud is our cloud-native AI-powered RF planning platform which brings unparalleled scalability and automation to network planning and optimization, so operators can make nationwide 5G RAN planning decisions.
Because it’s cloud-native, Planet Cloud brings elastic scalability and automation to the design and optimization of the entire network, allowing operators to quickly create and evaluate rollout and upgrade scenarios, extend the planning process beyond the RF realm to include ROI and performance KPIs, and move closer to true digital twins.
The result is that operators can plan and automate network-wide RAN investment decisions to improve radio network design quality, roll out next generation networks faster and, ultimately, improve network CAPEX and OPEX efficiency.
3. What are the main 5G challenges does it help to deal with?
The scale of the planning challenge facing operators is already significant, and only increasing. Whether it is building out a nationwide network beyond initial city deployments; understanding how best to dynamically share 4G and 5G spectrum; or maximizing the effectiveness of the latest RF technologies; operators need to be able to draw on unparalleled scale and automation if they want to quickly and optimally plan and scale advanced 5G networks to pave the way for revenue growth.
Only a cloud-native architecture can deliver this.
Leveraging advanced technologies in planning for newly cloudified NR networks is fundamental to the ability to scale 5G networks while controlling CAPEX; accelerate roll-outs while targeting investments for maximum returns; and introduce automated decision-making to optimize costs without sacrificing performance.
A cloud-native architecture not only allows you to accelerate the planning and roll-out of 5G networks; it is also a central building block for delivering on the vision of a completely automated network with integrated processes. Cloud-native open APIs provide interoperability for 3rd party applications and services, while integrated optimization of the end-to-end network lifecycle prevents the creation of silos and adds insights, intelligence and automation.
Planet Cloud not only enables operators to plan and automate network-wide RAN investment decisions, but do so in a flexible, dynamic and more cost-effective manner.
4. Any good tips to share with those who are going to MWC in Barcelona?
When you’re running from meeting to meeting it can be hard to get a wider sense of what big debates and news are swirling around the Fira. For me, I always pick up a copy of MWC Daily when I arrive each day so that I get a quick overview of that day’s big news. It’s a great way to not just stay up-to-date but also to ensure that the conversations you’re having are contextualized as part of the bigger picture.
