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To ensure a successful migration to UMTS, WSPs must be able to rely on their management solutions evolving into the UMTS domain. One of the key management solutions for any network or service is the Operational Support System (OSS). It is the OSS that ensures the efficient operation of a network and associated services.
The OSS must evolve into UMTS so that the WSP has the same management solution for GSM, GPRS and UMTS. This will be key for UMTS as the data and voice traffic will flow between a WSPs GSM, GPRS and UMTS networks. For example, a voice call between a UMTS subscriber and a GSM subscriber within the same network will flow between the UMTS voice network and the GSM voice network. To allow rapid and efficient resolution of any issues with such voice calls, the WSP must be able to get a single view across these networks.
Figure 8. Service Lifecycle
Figure 8 shows the key functions of the OSS which must evolve for UMTS. The OSS must be able to deliver these functions for UMTS from Day One. The reason is that the initial services available on UMTS will be the same services available today on GPRS and GSM. Therefore, mobile subscribers will expect these services to be as reliable and performant from Day One on UMTS as they have been so far on GPRS and GSM.
During initial UMTS network and service rollout the two main objectives of the WSP will be to ensure good RF coverage and to ensure the UMTS services work end-to-end. This is required to strengthen customer confidence and maximize service take-up.
The first of these objectives will be delivered via UMTS RF planning and optimization. One of the main management tools for this is Drive Test. The information from Drive Test is key in maximizing coverage, capacity and quality while minimizing cost.
The second of these objectives will be delivered via network and service troubleshooting. This involves making sure the network is providing the necessary resources to the mobile subscribers and that services are working end to end. The main data sources for this are:
- Active Test. These are probes placed around the country that check services are present and performing well. For example, for a new video streaming service the active test device can check that the Video Server is accessible, that the videos can be streamed from the Video Server to the handset and that the performance of the service is as expected. This can be done prior to service launch as well as at launch and during the growth phases.
- Non-intrusive Monitoring. These are probes placed on the network interfaces. By extracting the signaling and data from the network, the monitoring solution can build up a detailed end-to-end view of actual mobile subscriber activity. In the video-streaming example, if issues occur the monitoring solution can quickly pinpoint the root cause of the issue.
Active Test will continually highlight the performance of the service from an end-to-end perspective. Non-intrusive Monitoring will measure the performance of the services across the customer base and will highlight any degradation.
Assurance of the UMTS services during the growth stage is critical. By offering a highly reliable, highly performant and valuable UMTS service to a large subscriber base, the WSP will guarantee the confidence of the users of that service. However, services that work efficiently during the launch phase may not work as well when the network or service is placed under heavy load during the growth phase. Having the right UMTS OSS can help ensure that any issues during service growth are quickly identified and resolved. Active Test can close the loop to ensure fixes have worked.
By having the right UMTS management tools, the effectiveness of these lifecycle phases can be maximized and the success of UMTS guaranteed.
