Intelligent CDMA Network Solution Boosting Operators' Competitiveness

Wireless communications belong to capital intensive industry due to the massive cost inputs needed to support the whole network lifecycle. Mobile operators’ initial Capital Expenditures (CAPEX) for wireless network construction only occupy a small fraction of their Total Cost of Ownership (TCO), while the cost inputs on operation and maintenance after the network is put into operation occupy most of their TCO.

Due to the increasing fierce competition in the wireless market, the operators’ major concerns are how to optimize their cost structure and quickly expand their user base. Based on its insight into the needs of CDMA operators, ZTE has rolled out its intelligent CDMA network solution that offers intelligent capability throughout the whole network lifecycle including network planning, deployment, operation and maintenance, and optimization. The solution helps CDMA operators reduce their CAPEX, optimize their cost structure and enhance their market competitiveness.

Intelligent Network Planning

Network planning and simulation is the fundamental work for wireless network construction. ZTE provides intelligent network planning tool (ZXPOS CNP1) that can help operators implement network planning quickly and accurately, conduct network simulation precisely and scheme out the best network configuration based on full consideration of all the constraints in network capacity, coverage, environmental factors, and investment budget. ZXPOS CNP1 has the following attractions.

Auto network-topology design: It can improve the efficiency and quality of initial network planning while taking into consideration all the constraints in network capacity, coverage, investment cost, and site utilization.

Intelligent carrier planning, PN planning and neighbor cell planning: It can automatically calculate out the related system parameters based on the network topology, so as to maximally improve the efficiency of network deployment, expansion and optimization.

Auto module tuning: It can conduct module tuning in an automatic and batch manner based on the drive test data, so as to achieve low-cost network planning.

Adaptive propagation model: It can implement increasing-precise iterative network planning in an efficient and intelligent manner. 

Intelligent Network Deployment

Engineering progress is quite important in deploying a CDMA network. In order to speed up the engineering progress while guaranteeing the network quality and reducing personal error, ZTE has developed a series of intelligent tools for network deployment that can ensure the network is well commissioned on schedule (see Figure 1).

Auto conversion of planning data: The Office Dependent Database (ODD) tool enables parallel processing. The network planning department starts to prepare planning data while the engineering department is conducting site debugging and installation; as soon as the engineering department finishes its job, the network planning department can write the data into the ODD and input them into the OMC. The ODD tool helps to improve work efficiency by 20 times and it can also avoid errors possibly arising from manual input.

Auto data integrity check: The OMC checks the integrity of imported configuration data based on certain rules and eliminates configuration errors at the earliest time possible.

Auto configuration of IP link: Because the Abis link supports DHCP, the IP address of BTS can be acquired automatically instead of being configured manually at the BTS site, which greatly improves efficiency of site deployment. 

Intelligent Network Operation and Maintenance

In order to help the operators better operate and manage their networks, ZTE’s intelligent multi-mode CDMA network solution offers the following functions.

Intelligent fault isolation and self-recovery: The faults occurred in the network elements, links and modules can be isolated and self-recovered automatically, which enables the network to operate smoothly with little manual intervention.

Intelligent upgrade: The automatic one-key upgrade can improve upgrade efficiency and reduce the risks.

Intelligent energy-saving and emission-reduction: It can save energy efficiently and reduce network OPEX.

■    Intelligent carrier adjustment: Adjust the number of carriers output by BTS based on the cell traffic change, and close the carriers that are not in operation to reduce power overhead. For example, the power consumption for the 2-carrier 3-sector configuration can be reduced by 15%.

■    Intelligent power amplifier shutdown: Shut down the power amplifier when the Abis link of BTS breaks, which can transfer the terminal to the operating BTS and avoid unnecessary power consumption. This technique is widely applied in China, India, Southeast Asia and Africa.

■    Intelligent temperature control: Reduce the operating time of air conditioner to achieve the substantive saving of power and BTS environment control. Averagely, in more than 80% time of a year, the natural ventilation technique can be used to replace the air conditioner, which brings up to 70% energy savings.

■    Intelligent power supply management: Turn on and off the rectifier module automatically based on the output current and the number of operating rectifier modules, and make the power supply system work with a high efficiency of 50–85%. This technique improves power efficiency and brings energy savings. 

Intelligent Network Optimization

With the increase of subscribers and the commercialization of 3G networks, higher requirements are raised for network optimization. There are urgent demands for interoperable, automatic, intelligent and visualized optimization tools. To meet these requirements, ZTE has developed its intelligent network optimization system.

ZXPOS software tool suite (CNT/CAN): It can implement data mining based on large amount of statistical data; make an intelligent analysis of network problems and give suggestions for improvement; provide enterprise-level integrated report; support conventional network KPI optimization; focus on user experience enhancement; and support automatic neighbor cell optimization and auto PN optimization for different scenarios such as network expansion and swapping.  

Call Detail Trace (CDT): CDT traces the key data of each call made by each user in the current access system, including the wireless environment for user access and the key data handled by the internal system in the access process.

Innovative T-phone driver test tool: Due to the complicated operation, high cost and small coverage of the traditional driver test tool, ZTE has developed handheld T-phone drive test tool. With a single intelligent T-Phone, network optimization engineers can collect all kinds of wireless data and use CNT/ANA to analyze them. The professional drive test can be performed at anytime and anywhere.

Conclusion

Intelligent network is an important trend for wireless network evolution. Improving efficiency and saving energy have become the focus of all operators. Based on its insight into the needs of clients, ZTE put forward a whole package solution for intelligent CDMA operations, helping operators reduce their energy consumption, lower their operation costs, and boost their market competitiveness.