Jiangsu Telecom: Lean Network Management

The rapid development of mobile internet has spurred demand for faster access and better network experience. Operators need to establish a real-time network evaluation and optimization system in order to understand user perceptions of the service they are receiving. When evaluated using traditional methods, Jiangsu Telecom’s network performs almost perfectly. However, user behavior is ever-changing, and Jiangsu Telecom needs comprehensive, more refined network management and optimization methods to determine what factors are affecting network performance and user perception. With ZTE’s UniCare customer experience assurance (CEA) solution, Jiangsu Telecom was able to conduct multidimensional research on lean network management. They constructed a global benchmark CDMA network, implemented a scientific evaluation system, improved equipment capacity and overload protection, upgraded air interface capacity, and improved maintenance efficiency. Jiangsu Telecom ran a pilot project in Yangzhou that included three phases: implementing an evaluation system, multidimensional optimization, and improving future-oriented network capability. Establishing a Scientific Evaluation System A scientific evaluation system provides a solid theoretical basis for network development, just as protocols do in the communications industry. Jiangsu Telecom’s benchmark network evaluation system is based on scoring user perception and has the following characteristics: ● comprehensiveness. The evaluation system covers the whole end-to-end process and multi-dimensional user perception. ● operability. The system is based on the network-optimization platform, which ensures convenient and quick access to data. ● flexibility. The weighting of different performance perceptions can be adjusted to reflect the focus of the user. ● objectivity. Visible KPIs quantify user perception. Jiangsu Telecom established four benchmark systems: ● voice service perception system. This has indicators for coverage, access, stability, and integrity. A reasonable weighting is set for each indicator to reflect user perception of voice services and to help locate network problems. By weighting the key indicators of user perception, actual user perception can be gauged. This is particularly useful for determining the experience of VIP users and for identifying VAP users. ● data service perception system. This system manages user perception and has indicators for coverage, access, stability, and integrity. A reasonable weighting is set for each indicator to reflect user perception of data services and to help locate network problems. ● network resource load-evaluation system. Network load indicators detect resource overload in the air interface, BSS equipment, and core network. This is helpful for network optimization and expansion. ● MOS evaluation system. ZTE’s proprietary testing method is used to collect signaling field information and calculate a mean opinion score (MOS) for call quality. Through statistical comparison and algorithm adjustment, it also works out an MOS evaluation similar to that derived using the traditional testing method. In this way, a system is established to evaluate call quality MOS. Improving Network and User Management Capabilities With lean network management, Jiangsu Telecom is capable of: ● monitoring KQI: extracting KPI, KQI and QoE according to service categories, supporting diverse businesses such as HTTP, instant messaging, and microblogging, and supporting scoring from multiple dimensions including region, web page, user group, and terminal ● monitoring network services in real time: displaying network service indicators dynamically in the form of curve chart, line chart, or pie chart ● module monitoring and scoring: scoring service quality from dimensions of region, user group and NE ● VIP/VAP user care: monitoring VIP user perception and obtaining service experience of specific users or user groups for more detailed customer care and VAP user identification ● associating service perception with CDT indicators for quick positioning ● terminal analysis: analyzing terminal type, manufacturer, operating system, region, and other elements to provide suggestions for terminal customization ● improving traditional network indicators, including call drop, connection, handover, and busy hour indicators, and resource utilization indicators Jiangsu Telecom will continue to pursue lean network management based on user experience management and continuous real-time monitoring of network quality. Jiangsu Telecom will continue to research new network features, improve equipment capacity, and optimize 1X/DO interoperability with the overall goal of improving the quality of benchmark networks. ZTE’s UniCare CEA is a new method for managing future networks. It can be used to establish a new user-experience evaluation system based on traditional KPI evaluation and optimize the network using the new system and corresponding user experience management services. This improves network quality and guarantees user experience. UniCare CEA also provides an accurate network quality GPS navigation map for operators. User experience management makes marketing, maintenance and construction departments more efficient, increases ARPU, and reduces opex.