Software is becoming an increasingly important part of telecommunication networks and deployments as both wired and wireless carriers look to add functionality to operations while increasing simplicity and reducing costs. RCR Wireless News is keeping an eye on recent developments through its weekly “Software” wrap up.
Reverb Networks said it successfully completed a pilot of its InteliSON self-optimizing network system in Brazil with an unnamed network partner. The pilot included the optimization of a “heavily loaded” 3G network, including some sites hitting more than 90% capacity for up to 12 hours per day.
Reverb said the test included “adapting to a stream of ongoing network changes introduced by groups and processes operating in parallel to the Reverb InteliSON self-optimizing system.” Reverb’s platform was said to have automatically discovered and adapted to changes in the underlying network configuration.
Reverb last year scored a deal with Canadian operator Mobilicity to provide its SON platform in five cities. The platform was expected to help the carrier improve operational efficiencies as it continues to attract customers to its flat-rate, unlimited service offering.
A 2013 report from Infonetics Research found that 87% of mobile operators surveyed had deployed SON in their networks, an increase from just 27% at the end of 2012. The survey added that by 2015, 100% of those operators surveyed planned to use SON in their network.
“Mobile operators know they need to keep network operating expenses under control, and they’re placing a big bet on SON while acknowledging the complexity of and their unease with automation that minimizes human intervention and maximizes computerization,” explained Stéphane Téral, principal analyst for mobile infrastructure and carrier economics at Infonetics. “Nonetheless, the ultimate goal is to use cell planning and field testing for zero-touch, self-healing networks. But, it’ll take some time to get there. SON’s just started, after all.”
In other telecom software news:
Cisco Systems announced a deal to supply products in support of cable provider Charter Communications’ next-generation video platform, including Cisco’s cloud-based security suite.
Charter’s Worldbox offering will tap into Cisco’s offerings to provide downloadable security solutions for set-top boxes and digital rights management. Cisco noted it will supply a “substantial share” of Worldbox volume as well as continue to supply current CableCARD boxes during Charter’s transition to the new cloud-based platform. That transition is expected to begin this year.
“Cisco shares Charter’s vision of the future of network architecture, where our network’s intelligence is located in the cloud rather than in devices at the edge,” said Tom Rutledge, president and CEO of Charter, in a statement.
Make sure to check out the latest in telecom-related software news at RCR Wireless News’ dedicated software page. Also, if you have telecom software news to share, please send it along to: [email protected].
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