Motorola LTE Self Organizing NetworksMotorola’s revolutionary SON solution for LTE OPEX reduction

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Expertly Engineered for Tomorrow Available Today.Operators and vendors recognized early on that, for LTE to be successful, operational expense and effort had to be reduced. Operators want to make sure that services offered over this 4G network technology are of high quality, while still reducing the CAPEX and OPEX associated with these new mobile broadband networks.

T0oday, network operations in existing 3G networks typically represent 20% of overall OPEX. From a network operations perspective, operators took the initiative to reduce OPEX costs through the Next Generation Mobile Networks alliance to drive supporting standards through 3GPP (3rd Generation Partner Project.) In doing so, they recognized two ways to support reduced OPEX an LTE network.

1) LTE operations should not require new workflows, but fit existing processes

2) LTE operations should increase automation of activities to reduce cost

The solution from NGMN and 3GPP is the Self Organizing Network or SON. A Self Organizing Network is an LTE network that can automatically extend, change, configure and optimize the network coverage, capacity, cell size, topology, and frequency allocation and bandwidth, based on changes in interference, signal strength, location, traffic pattern, and other environment criteria.

The main purpose of SON is to minimize the operation costs of running a network by reducing and eliminating manual configuration of network operational parameters at the time of network planning, network deployment, network operations, and network optimization. Automatic configuration is provided within the operational processes and procedures that are currently in place.

Motorola LTE Self Organizing NetworksMotorola’s revolutionary SON solution for LTE OPEX reduction

Typical OPEX Breakdown (Source: Yankee Group)

Marketing and Sales43%

Network Operations20%

Cost of Goods20%

Backhaul10%

Customer Care7%

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Product Elements OverviewMotorola LTE SON Solution The Motorola Self Organizing Network solution is a revolutionary approach for OPEX reduction, designed to reduce operating costs by simplifying the management of the LTE network. The overall goal of the Motorola SON solution is to reduce costs and increase productivity around the existing standard O&M activities and processes already used today by mobile operators. The Motorola SON solution easily fits in with existing 2G and 3G OSS workflows while automating many tasks that were previously manual activities, reducing the need for extra personal to operate the LTE network.

Within Motorola SON solution, network elements are self-aware, self-configurating, auto-optimizing, and self-diagnosing, so human activity can be focused on network design and growth. As defined by the LTE standard, the SON capability can be broken into four distinct Network Operating Support System areas:

• Network Planning

• Network Deployment

• Network Operations

• Network Optimization

Motorola brings to SON our years of research in network autonomics and the added real-world experience of planning, deploying, managing and optimizing commercial OFDM networks. This wealth of expertise has been leveraged in our SON implementation, helping us provide unique capabilities and features as well as optimized algorithms that take into account the knowledge gained from commercial OFDM mobile broadband networks:

• Distributed SON Architecture designed to reduce SON implementation costs , lower backhaul overhead, and improve responsiveness

• Experience driven knowledge base and algorithms built on years of multi-vendor intelligent optimization services and live OFDM networks learning

• Technology innovation knowledge base driven by extensive modeling and simulation activities

Motorola’s O&M environment offers offline planning capabilities that walk the customer through capacity and coverage adjustments scenarios for their network based on uploading their current network topology from the LTE Manager. All of the SON principals are applied to the planning network, including processes such as neighbor cell list addition, optimization, handover parameter optimization, interference control, and QoS parameter optimization. Also specified are the needed hardware configurations and licenses required to order the necessary capacity expansion. The Network Planning capability can allow the output of the tool to be used to reconfigure the network.

Network Planning

Motorola’s complete LTE solution is designed to anticipate and meet the exploding consumer demand for bandwidth, personalization and mobility, and offer an optimized network that best supports the operator’s KPI targets. It is a comprehensive platform for service innovation and business model evolution, providing a field-proven, next generation, standards-based solution that can be integrated via open interfaces and includes arobust applications and devices ecosystem.

Network Deployment

SON will automate many of the manual steps required when adding or expanding an MME or eNodeB into the network. SON provides the capability to have plug-and-play hardware that is self-locating and self-configuring. Configuration for a newly deployed site begins with limited pre-configuration work from the operator to establish the O&M link. Once this is done, the new eNodeB will detect and auto-bind to the EMS, auto-discover and update software as needed, update radio parameters as needed, and use the X2 interface to update important non-site specific radio parameters that have been optimized based on existing neighbor eNodeBs. When deploying eNodeB in the LTE network, it can become a logistical nightmare to manage the Physical Cell Identifier (PCI) that uniquely identifies a cell and determine neighbor association between a newly added cells and existing cells. Through Motorola’s SON, a new cell can create and manage these relationships itself.

Planning Deployment Operations Optimization

Operations Area

OP

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Co

st Traditional OPEXMotorola SON Approach

Estimated OPEX Savings with Motroola SON

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With PCI, Motorola SON solution automates the detection and resolution of PCI allocation and management. Motorola has developed unique algorithms to avoid clashes of PCI values between cells, as well as mitigating PCI border issues between Motorola and other vendors’ PCI values. Motorola has also leveraged its RF leadership to create sophisticated algorithms to manage Automatic Neighbor Relationships (ANR). This feature allows new cells or cell clusters to automatically populate their neighbor lists and the reciprocate cell’s neighbor list. ANR not only provides fast initial neighbor identification, but also provides ongoing continuous neighbor optimization, ensuring that network neighbor relationships are always optimized and that new cells can be easily added to an existing network.

Creating Autonomous Solution for Deriving PCI

Network Operations

On a daily operational basis, the human involvement of operating a Motorola network is also greatly reduced with SON. By providing automated features such as self-healing, auto-inventory management, and automated upgrade management, the minimal set of additional resources needed to manage the LTE network can shift their focus to higher order functions, rather than the low level maintenance tasks of today’s 2G and 3G systems.

Network Optimization

Motorola is developing its SON solution to manage the day-to-day optimization activities including the observation, analysis, and decision making, leveraging the information reported by devices and equipment in the field. Motorola’s ongoing optimization of the network looks at the device parameters to adjust QoS optimization, neighbor cell optimization, handover parameter optimization, interference control

management, and radio parameter optimization from macro networks down to micro and pico cells. This interworking between parameters ensures the network is running at its best and can rapidly adjust to any changes in environment and conditions to best suit usage needs.

Distributed Architecture

Motorola is leveraging its long history in autonomics computing to drive the intelligence of the Motorola SON solution into the eNodeB itself. By providing a distributed architecture, the Motorola SON implementation results in less backhaul traffic as many SON related decisions are executed at the access point level.

• All of the call data records, backhaul information, IP connectivity, neighbor information, etc. associated with optimizing the network are generally kept within the access point

• The need to send huge amount of information to a centralized point in the network is reduced, thereby lowering backhaul traffic.

• With no need for a centralized platform to manage the SON capabilities in the LTE network, there is no single point of failure.

• Since the decision criteria is managed in the access point itself, there is less latency for decision calculations between the access point and the device itself.

• Chatter/ping-pong decisions managed locally can reduce load on EMS.

Experience Driven and Technology Innovation Knowledge Base

Motorola’s SON solution draws directly on our real-world field experience in optimizing networks and our history of OFDM innovation. In developing the knowledge base and decision criteria for making an intelligent SON architecture, Motorola has leveraged our Multi-Vendor Intelligent Optimization System (MVIOS) and IOS for iDEN experience to drive how our initial SON algorithms are developed. That experience is helping us to deliver continuously improved architectures, advanced features, and improved algorithms.

Motorola has taken its long history in technology innovation and applied it directly to our SON solution. In 2005, Motorola established the Autonomics Laboratory. The focus of the lab was to enable self-configuring, self-healing, self-optimizing, and self-protecting infrastructure. Motorola brought in key industry experts to drive the development of the work in the Autonomics Lab. In 2006, Motorola has also developed a new operability architecture based

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on SON concepts that is established across both our Networks and Public Safety businesses. Motorola is also leveraging a new state of the art Simulation and Analysis Compute Array, consisting of more than 200 quad-processing nodes, to run Motorola Proprietary LTE Link, System Simulators and System Analysis Tools which outcome is directly being fed into the knowledge engines that drive Motorola SON automated activities.

Additional Capabilities

The Motorola LTE Solution also provides interface/data support for SON related functions that inter-work with an external source such as a multi-vendor Network Management System or optimization tools. These functions include: communication of measurements, performance indicators, and configuration messages in a standardized form; optimization of neighbor cell information; inventory management; and KPI definition and reporting.

SON and Services

Motorola’s SON solution completes our overall LTE services strategy to help operators drive down their operating expenditures. Motorola is planning and designing services to be ‘SON-aware’ and to use to SON as an important tool in its services portfolio. SON is also part of every overall multi-vendor, multi-technology system deployment, but every vendor’s implementation will be different, so you need a partner that can maximize the benefits across the entire solution.

Motorola has helped many operators around the globe integrate and enable their next generation solutions, with its expertise, knowledge assets and world-class solution integration processes. Our experience spans the end-to-end commercial network from radio access network, core network to transmission network and service delivery, ensuring that the user experience is unsurpassed.

Operators deploying multi-vendor networks need their O&M systems to operate seamlessly between networks. Motorola Services is specifically looking at this evolution path and strategy and how operators can optimize their existing network to maximize revenue. In addition, operators will still need to differentiate on quality of experience, and our performance services will provide even greater importance to customers as they roll out these networks. As with any all-IP network, managing security becomes a critical touch point. The Security Service reduces the risks of deploying an all-IP network, allowing operators to establish confidence and trust that their networks are operating securely in this environment.

Management of the Motorola SON solution is coordinated through Motorola’s LTE Manager EMS solution. The LTE Manager provides traditional O&M FCAPS functionality for the Motorola LTE network including such network elements as the Motorola eNodeB Wireless Broadband Radio portfolio, Wireless Broadband Controller and Gateway, and over Motorola Evolved Packet Core.

Key to the Motorola LTE Solution is that its design has been significantly influenced by the concepts of SON. For example, in the O&M architecture, operational intelligence is pushed out to the network nodes. Distributing these functions removes the need for large and complicated EMS solutions in support of the SON architecture.

To optimize that configuration changes implement by SON, the LTE Manager is optimized for data consolidation, bulk and group user tasks, and OSS / NMS support, for a clearer distinction between role of the NE, EMS, NMS/OSS. Additionally, operational interfaces at the Network Elements and at the LTE Manager are identical. This reduces training cost and learning curves, and makes collaboration between technicians and operators easier.

Within the LTE system architecture, Network Elements are self-aware, self-configuration, auto-optimizing, and self-diagnosing, so human activity can be focused on network design and growth, aligned with SON objectives.

Motorola LTE Solution O&M Architecture

SON Operator Validation User Interface

LTE SON Simulation

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Wireless Task Model – Quantifying SON’s Value

In order to fully understand and drive down operational costs, Motorola has developed the Wireless Task Model. This model is an inventory of end-to-end scenarios and tasks used to manage a wireless network, organized by the processes that implement them – planning, deployment, configuration, operations, and optimization.

The model is derived from the Tele-Management Forum’s Business Process Framework (eTOM), and developed in concert with operators and wireless industry consultants. In the context of real-world scenarios, Motorola has quantified the costs associated with a number of tasks:

• How much time does the modeled task require?

• How many staff are needed?

• How frequently is the task performed?

• What level of expertise is required for the task?

• What are the labor costs associated with that task?

Motorola is using baseline 2G and 3G network data not only to help operators understand the impacts of SON on their networks, but also to demonstrate how Motorola’s SON knowledge base can be applied to address overall OPEX costs.

Preview Mode: Establishing Trust

Motorola’s SON solution offers an interactive mode that previews proposed changes, allowing operators to approve changes before they are activated. Preview mode gives each operator the opportunity to test and to gain confidence in the algorithms before choosing to enable them within the network. Operators can choose the level of automation that suits their needs. SON capabilities may be managed on a functional basis, for example, allowing PCI to be automated but ANR changes must be approved. Or Son can be managed on a network element basis, requiring approval for changes to network elements A, B, and C while the rest of the network can run automatically. This approach is made possible by the use of an EMS architecture designed specifically around the SON concept.

Motorola SON Preview Mode

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Operator Benefit

Dramatically Reducing Total Cost of Ownership

Planning, deployment, operating, and optimizing the current 3G radio access network already accounts for a large part of operators’ total operational costs. If this model of management continues, LTE networks are bound to increase these costs further as operators build to meet the continued growth in mobile broadband capacity demands. Motorola’s LTE SON solution takes a revolutionary approach to reducing OPEX without disrupting an operator’s current method of running their business. The Motorola LTE SON solution means operators have a great opportunity to learn about the new and compelling methods to manage their LTE RAN more efficiently, more intelligently, and with a lower total cost of ownership.

Reduced Total Cost of Ownership

• SON delivers an intelligent network where Motorola eNodeB base stations self-optimize their operational algorithms and parameters in response to changes in network, traffic and environmental conditions.

• With operational intelligence at the access point, SON can collect live network and call data, process it in real time, and either preview the changes or automatically deploy them live.

• SON offers offline planning capabilities for rapidly modeling the optimization of several parameters, including cell list additions, handover, interference control, and QoS enforcement.

• With SON, operators can achieve a dramatic reduction in the number of manual steps required when adding or expanding new network elements, enabling plug-and-play hardware that is self-locating and self-configuring.

• A distributed architecture approach significantly reduces O&M backhaul traffic when compared to more centralized approaches.

• Motorola’s SON solution fits into existing business processes and operational workflows.

SummarySecond and third generation wireless networks evolved wireless technology but largely left the operations paradigm of first generation networks intact. Unlike these legacy technologies, LTE implementation of SON potentially enables significantly reduced OPEX. To realize these savings, LTE operators should demand a complete SON solution, enabled by a distributed operations and maintenance architecture, along with consistent operations capabilities that can be accessed anytime, anywhere. Operators that successfully deploy a LTE solution that reduces O&M related OPEX will have a significant advantage over their competition..

Today’s technical advances, in terms of processing power, storage, and communication throughput, make it possible to place the intelligence for optimization and healing within the individual network elements where previously such function could only be achieved in large OSS systems or human controls. By providing these automated functions within the solution, operators will be better able to manage an additional network technologies (2G, 3G, plus LTE) in a commercial environment where adding staff is a difficult business proposition. Automating functions of routine management frees the operations staff available to better handle existing technologies and the planning and growth functions needed for LTE.

Motorola’s LTE SON solution leverages our extensive expertise in planning, deploying, optimizing and managing commercial OFDM networks, our extensive laboratory work in network autonomics established in 2005 and our leadership in the 3GPP LTE standards to provide operators, an industry leading implementation with early availability of advanced features and leading algorithms.

For more information on LTE SON or to request a SON workshop, please talk to your Motorola representative or visit business.motorola.com/experiencelte/home.html

Key Benefits Detail

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