A mobile operator's work is never done. The telco industry is evolving rapidly, requiring mobile operators to juggle activities like ensuring a high quality of experience (QoE) for end users and troubleshooting ongoing mobile network performance, all while managing new technology roll-outs (e.g. LTE, C-RAN and even 5G), keeping up with the latest network standards and more. Achieving all of this simultaneously is no easy feat, let alone a cost-effective one, and it demands the right tools and network insight to remain one step ahead of the curve.
Many mobile operators have turned to new technology like VoLTE, which allows existing LTE infrastructure to be shared for both voice and data services, to maximize network efficiency and get a leg up on the competition. Because VoLTE allows for IP-based, converged services, mobile operators can offer instant messaging and video conferencing, for example, to subscribers in attractive service bundles, effectively competing with the Over-the-Top (OTT) providers that are cannibalizing their bandwidth availability. But, despite the benefits that VoLTE brings, the technology is not without its own set of obstacles. Left unmonitored and improperly managed, VoLTE implementations can backfire.
For example, early adopters have found issues with call quality and call establishment delays in mobile network load conditions. What's more, VoLTE adds yet another layer of complexity to heterogeneous networks (HetNets). This makes it increasingly difficult for mobile operators to ensure a high quality of service (QoS) for end users and, consequently, to prevent churn.
Indeed, as an IP-Convergent service, VoLTE is very sensitive to network conditions along the entire service delivery chain: from the RAN, to the backhaul, to the core network. Therefore, it is critical that mobile operators are able to monitor and enforce critical network performance indicators in all domains, while having the ability to quickly identify and diagnose problems in complex scenarios. This is especially the case when one network condition, like poor backhaul network performance, can affect the performance of other networks, starting with the RAN.
With our new Mobile Knowledge Pack, we are helping mobile operators quickly identify and diagnose these kinds of network problems. The solution offers a series of out-of-the-box VoLTE indicators that enable mobile operators to quickly monitor newly implemented, or planned, VoLTE networks. This, combined with Infovista's unified end-to-end network service assurance solution, from the RAN, to the backhaul, to the core network, gives mobile operators the necessary cross-domain visibility to ensure VoLTE service quality at least matches, or even exceeds, the service quality obtained with more traditional network architectures. This new evolution of the Mobile Knowledge Pack also demonstrates its flexibility to adapt to new vendors and technologies, providing operators with a long-term and strategic solution that reduces “time to operate” for new technology rollouts, today and tomorrow!
For more information on the Mobile Knowledge Pack and the importance of end-to-end mobile network performance management, as well as insight on how to fully optimize VoLTE investments, I invite you to access the page, VoLTE Network Performance Management.
