'Coordination' the future for networks

Actix has predicted that with the arrival of 4G network managers will have a sharper focus on the delivery cost per data bit.

A better coordination between radio network engineering and status management, the company has found, can drive a reduction of almost 30% in day-to-day RAN engineering costs.

With the advent of LTE technology, mature operators will be managing at least three radio access networks (RANs) — 2G, 3G and 3.9/4G networks. A large portion of the delivery cost of every bit is RAN related and the challenging economics of mobile broadband will enforce the need for a much sharper focus on delivery cost per data bit if operators are to remain profitable.

“Mobile carriers are under immense pressure to increase margins by cutting expense, while still delivering the ultra-high bandwidth, mobile broadband data services that consumers are coming to expect," said Sanjay Nagdev, chief sales officer at the company. “As operators focus on lowering the cost per bit of mobile data, the spectral efficiency of LTE is proving attractive and driving some to make early investment into 3.9G and 4G technologies.

"However, simply overlaying this on existing 2G and 3G networks won’t get the most out of the investment — operators need to remove cost layers, not add more. With multiple tier one operators now deploying NSM solutions, it’s clear that RAN automation is an essential step towards improved cost effectiveness.”