Capacity management ◦ Now more than ever, handle unpredictable demand with agility

Across the globe Communications Service Providers (CSPs) and Mobile Network Operators have faced enormous, dynamic changes in capacity and demand this year.

“In this “new normal,” CSPs are leading the effort for remote working, online learning and social distancing.”

Source: Forbes (1)

Home working, with its heavy use of video conferencing and collaboration, combined with a surge in demand for digital entertainment, home studying and intensive use of multiple devices simultaneously, has led to a previously unimaginable surge in demand for capacity on both fixed and mobile networks. The changes in mobile network demand have highlighted difficult to predict anomalies – in many cities, as people stayed at home, significant demand was off-loaded to home wifi networks (Deloitte (2): “some telcos say they have seen a 300% increase in the use of these voice-over-WiFi services.”), in contrast with rural areas and other poorly served broadband-black-spots, mobile data demand has soared.

“The five largest operators in Spain reported a 40% increase in overall IP traffic, a 25% increase in mobile traffic and a 50% increase in mobile voice traffic since the start of the outbreak.”

Analysys Mason (3)

Now that the initial rush to support business employees working from home has passed, more countries are starting to consider slowly re-opening business premises – with staggered start times, and changes in working practice, this will bring with it a new set of behaviours and capacity requirements. But the need to maintain agility in capacity is vital, as countries anticipate lockdowns will be enforced dynamically over the months and years ahead.

Planning ahead

In the short term, service providers are addressing four key challenges,

• With dynamic changes in customer behaviour, and the lack of revenue from roaming charges, many are experiencing significant pressure on operating expenses, and taking quick business decisions to remove costs
• Capital expenditure plans are being rapidly re-assessed to ensure they are re-prioritised to meet the new revenue and business continuity needs
• Re-assessing supply chains, in terms of equipment procurement issues, safe social distancing in the workplace, and staff absence levels
• Rapidly addressing revenue and cash management, as economies global experience a massive downturn

In the longer term, plans need to be made to manage the “next new normal”, as changes in society and working patterns continue to evolve. At Digis Squared we believe this next phase is even harder, as “Business As Usual” will mean a constant need for agility and flexing to meet demand,

• Accelerate digital transformation: use AI and RPA to manage higher customer service call volumes to support remote working, and handle mundane repetitive tasks and digital self-service via automation
• Revise Business Continuity Plans: review assumptions, re-plan and re-scale
• Accelerate 5G deployment and integration to better handle high demand dynamically
• Implement autonomous capacity management, to ensure that your mobile networks work efficiently.

“…the way to consider a crisis of this magnitude is to identify three phases: Respond, Recover and Thrive.”

Deloitte (2)

Whilst many short terms solutions have been rapidly implemented, now is the time to ensure they are robust and resilient enough to continue to handle the longer term, and to re-assess Business Continuity Plans.

Autonomous capacity management

We can help communications services providers and mobile network operators to achieve more with your network resources: absorb new traffic demands, and optimize the expansions you need by using Digis Squared’s vendor-agnostic, off-the-shelf solutions.

Use our expertise to dynamically assist your teams

Our areas of focus are,

• Vendor agnostic capacity modeling for all network technologies (2G/3G/4G/5G)
• Machine learning algorithms on network data enriched with multiple data feeds from radio access network, Customer Experience Management (CEM), geolocation systems and crowdsourced data
• Predictive traffic growth based on AI-power algorithms followed by degradation preventive actions and expansions prediction
• Action-Centric BM reports including KPIs, KQIs and Customers QOEs
• ROI calculations for network investments

Many of our clients use modular capacity management modules developed by Digis Squared team, with bespoke adaptations if needed, to,

• Balance the traffic between cells & technologies
• Recommend soft actions needed
• Activate & reshuffle sites licenses
• Capacity enhancement feature recommendations
• Physical changes
• Network expansions and reshuffling required

Our teams can use these capabilities to deliver value to service providers and mobile network operators,

• Start the smart CAPEX journey, and identify pathways to OPEX saving
• Maximize network investment ROI and help operators make well-informed, data-centred investment decisions
• Speed-up network capacity plans through our automated-predictive solution

We can assist you right now with our ready-to-go, adaptive-modular capacity management modules, developed by the Digis Squared team to,

• Balance the traffic between cells & technologies
• Recommend soft actions needed
• Activate & reshuffle sites licenses
• Capacity enhancement feature recommendations
• Physical changes
• Network expansions and reshuffling required

Discover more about our Digis-Capacity, AI & ML capabilities.

Now more than ever, capacity management ensures you can handle unpredictable demand with agility.

To discuss how our capacity management expertise can help your business, please use this link or email sales@DigisSquared.com to arrange an informal conversation.

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“In the words of one the telecom operator we spoke to: ‘ideally we never go back to the way we operated before this crisis’.”

Source: Deloitte (2)

Sources

1. Forbes
2. Deloitte
3. Analysys Mason

Image credit: Mike Kononov