Creating a Cloud-Terminal Integrated Pipe Operation Model

Liu Jianye,chief architect of ZTE core network products

The transition from voice to data is a revolution in mobile communications. This revolution has meant that telecom operators are no longer central in the service value chain because end users have become more concerned with quality of experience (QoE) and telecom operators have been unable to meet this requirement. Cloud-terminal integration is more effective than pipes, and spectrum resources are under threat from unauthorized bands. ISPs are attracting users with a serve first, charge later model and are vying for user desktops. Despite their full participation in the 7-layer open systems interconnection (OSI) model adopted for telecommunications and Internet, operators must strive to gain their supremacy by virtue of applications.

Creating a Mobile Internet Oriented Operation and Service Mode

Creating new operation and service rules for mobile Internet is a top priority. As competition intensifies and the importance of communication pipes becomes more pronounced, the competitive edge lies in the provision of smart, flat, broadband pipe services. The current pipe business model is still based on simplified bundle packages and restricts users from creating personalized services. Because of the lack of cost-effective well-delivered pipe services and the loss of phone number stickiness, it is easy for users to vote with their feet. This is how “buying pipes online”―a new business model―is taking shape. Unlike common commodities that users purchase online, pipe services are network capabilities, such as quality, bandwidth, and network type, or service capabilities, such as content, applications, and interfaces. Users who are invited to transparently manage pipe operation can customize services, pay on demand, and track updates at any time.

Building Transparent Smart Pipes

Users demand transparent charging that accurately corresponds to their usage. With a traffic-based charging model, the same price is charged per bit to all users. However, to satisfy the dynamic demand for high-quality service, the cost per bit when the network is busy is different from that when the network is idle. 

Suppose you install a “My Star-Rated Service” client on your smartphone. The client provides you with

• Traffic Observer. This displays running applications, uplink and downlink speeds across different networks, the amount of data used in the month, the amount of data remaining, and daily and monthly fees.
• Services On the Go. This informs you about whether the network is busy or idle; it displays the fee schedule according to the network status, and provides network access options. It also provides bandwidth guarantee when the network is busy, queries your preferences according to your subscription package when the network is idle, and applies for an interim bandwidth guarantee based on real-time services, for example, video conferencing.

ZTE proposes an advanced smart-pipe solution called ZSP2.0 that helps operators crack dumb pipes and build smart pipes at low cost and with better QoE. ZSP2.0 aims to double pipe gains, control the network for superior QoE, and allow user autonomy.

When the pipes are idle, operators can

• push services 
• adaptively increase user data rates (beyond  that allowed in the subscription) 
• recommend preferential policies
• improve network use
• increase pipe revenue and user satisfaction.

When the pipes are busy, operators can

• notify users of the tariff at busy hours and in busy areas
• allow users to be more autonomous
• adjust network traffic according to tariffs in a similar way to “intelligent transportation”
• increase pipe revenue (made up for revenue lost in idle hours).

Cloud-Terminal Integrated Architecture

ZTE has developed cloud-based pipe services to improve QoE. ZTE’s cloud-based smart-pipe architecture consists of the desktop cloud, access cloud, control cloud, sensor cloud, and application cloud (Fig. 1). The terminal-pipe-cloud integrated architecture can be used to build a self-sensing, self-learning, self-organizing, self-adaptive, self-managing digital neural network that delivers different cloud services at different layers.

ZTE has also proposed a standard architecture with enhanced end-to-end information sensing and open interfaces (Fig. 2). This helps in the creation of a transparent network. A network information collection system is used to enhance end-to-end analysis of the sensor cloud. The sensor cloud makes network information and capabilities available to terminals so that users can sense network conditions and customize their experience. The sensor cloud also makes network information and capabilities available to services so that third parties can more effectively develop value-added services.

Desktop cloud: Building a core portal to form a new homepage for users

The key to creating new operation and service rules for mobile Internet is to build a core portal that is indispensable and that allows users to manage pipes by themselves. Operators can bundle the core portal with other Internet applications and customized content to form a new homepage for users. The portal could be similar to the Baidu search engine, which is centered on the search box.

Access cloud:  The screen display and access mode are separated, which frees them from the restrictions of wireless standards

Although operators have built large-scale WLANs, few of these are adequately used because mobile phones don’t use them to offload traffic as desired. Considering most smartphones support Wi-Fi, ZTE has developed a personal gateway that can convert different wireless standards into Wi-Fi. As a result, the screen display is separated from access mode, and a wide range of “star” terminals can be used by operators. The access cloud helps in the creation of a ubiquitous wireless network that integrates multiple wireless networks and all WLAN hot areas into a heterogeneous network. WLAN then becomes a data network equivalent to GSM/UMTS and LTE.

Cloud means all kinds of access modes for users. Users don’t need to consider which network to use or how to perform network authentication and handover. The access cloud greatly improves QoE and increases the revenue from a multinetwork deployment.

Control cloud: A smart network with real-time analysis and closed-loop control

ZTE has developed an innovative real-time network analysis and a closed-loop control solution for policy control according to idle or busy network conditions and resource allocation among heterogeneous networks.

A content-delivery engine is also used in the control cloud to improve QoE. The content-delivery engine allows control of virus removal, web page optimization, media code conversion, CDN, and web cache.

Sensor cloud: Necessary for creating an open mobile Internet environment .

The cloud computing center can store and deal with terminal data, network data, management data, support data, user data, and service data. Architecture for mining mass data provides core capabilities for a data mining platform based on long-tail analysis. These core capabilities include personalized interfaces, service behavior analysis, hot content analysis, and business intelligence (BI) reporting for capability providers.

A user-oriented integrated service platform can provide a self-service customization client for customers, application transaction for service developers, and one-stop Internet services. A developer-oriented capability convergence platform can also provide managed application execution, open telecom access, and Internet service access. 

To gain a competitive edge operators need to provide star-rated services, create a way of buying pipes online, build a cloud-terminal integrated architecture for pipe services, and accentuate the importance of creating new homepages. However, it takes time to make all these changes because they involve specific enterprise standards and complex system architectures. Constructing a ubiquitous access cloud network with multiple access binding (MAB) is important to address issues that arise from different wireless standards, terminals, and networks.

Application Cases

ZTE’s industry-leading smart-pipe solution has found widespread application. Since 2009, Hong Kong’s largest mobile operator, CSL, has cooperated with ZTE in rolling out an optimized operation and management solution (ZOOMs). ZOOMs has helped CSL manage service packages, improve network OAM, and lower OAM costs. The smart-pipe solution was also adopted by China Telecom in Sichuan to solve problems that were occurring in busy areas and at busy hours. This helped operators make full use of their resources and generate more revenue.

ZTE has cooperated extensively with leading operators worldwide and has helped them solve operational problems with cutting-edge solutions. By cooperating and exchanging ideas with operators, ZTE has also enriched its smart-pipe solution, making it widely applicable and cost effective.