Telecommunications networks are currently undergoing massive changes, from technology upgrades to network extensions and 5G rollouts. FTTX extensions are being deployed to support business and residential customer connections and large fiber optic network rollouts are being carried out to connect mobile sites, which will then be connected to future edge data centers. To meet the increase in traffic requirements, massive bandwidth expansions must also be executed.
To support the demands of the digital world, network operators must be able to effectively document and manage large quantities of geographically dispersed asset data. A geographic information system (GIS) is the ideal extension of an infrastructure and resource management solution, as it provides a geo-referenced representation of such data. Applying location intelligence to infrastructure management processes significantly increases efficiency and brings network asset and resource data to life. Location-based visualization and geo-intelligence can support use cases from capacity management, to planning and rollout management, operation support, and site management.
Let’s take a look at the common challenges that GIS-enhanced hybrid network infrastructure management can simplify.
Capacity management
When expanding the network, it’s important to plan and build capacities based on up-to-date information to avoid additional construction and changes later on. To track capacity and resource utilization, georeferenced localization and visualization facilitates the analysis of available and used resources in cables and ducts and displays their routes with cross-sectional views on a map. Accurate data visualization of splice enclosures and cassette details, rack views, manhole capacities, and schematic views can also help optimize the use of free capacities and reduce CAPEX investments.
With full transparency on available capacities throughout the network, operators are well-equipped to meet current and future business requirements in a cost-effective and timely manner. By combining comprehensive network infrastructure management on a map with geoinformation and geodata processing, communication service providers (CSPs) can make smarter decisions about network capacity and the spatial availability of services and resources, whether it’s for B2B, B2C or any kind of mobile backhaul or fronthaul use cases.
This is especially true if a stepwise approach to extend the fiber infrastructure is applied in the way that the pipe infrastructure is built. By doing all the digging work in the first step and blowing in fibers according to the connection and service request of the customers in a second step, the mission-critical proper and efficient management of pipe capacities can be achieved. This is also true to fulfill other, specific B2B, connection requests. When geo-referenced visualization of POP sites and available capacities to get there is a task, they can be executed much faster and with a lower failure rate, if the GIS-based data visualization and the infrastructure details are tightly integrated.
Infrastructure operations
The purpose of a unified resource inventory, which comprises all passive inside and outside plant as well as all active physical, logical and virtual resources of a hybrid network infrastructure, is that from an operational perspective immediate impact analysis across all hierarchies can be executed in case of a failure. This will identify all affected resources and customer services. A tightly integrated GIS application combines this impact analysis with location intelligence to enable accurate fault localization. To accelerate the problem resolution, OTDR measurement data can be used and mapped to cable length information that is stored in the unified resource management tool. In this way the requested fault localization can be executed, and the corresponding geo-coordinates are calculated and displayed on the map, so that field technicians can be quickly navigated to the point of failure.
So, if there is construction work in the field that has damaged cables, a service manager can see exactly which services and customers are affected by executing the corresponding impact analysis for a damaged cable, pipe, or trench. This impact analysis also comprises an evaluation of whether the affected route is protected by a redundant connection or not. As a result, the impact analysis report provides all affected services, i.e., the ones which have no protection as well as where the protection is affected. Based on that knowledge, customer support teams can either proactively inform business customers about the service interruption or provide qualified feedback in case customers are calling to report the service interruption.
By using GIS-based fault localization, the troubleshooting process is executed based on precise and accurate data. This accelerates problem resolution and reduces the downtime for customers.
Georeferenced planning
Graphical documentation and spatial analysis, combined with cable and outside plant management, can provide full transparency across digital infrastructures and interconnected systems. For the planning of cable and outside plant infrastructure or additional locations, a GIS-based user interface with spatial visualization of data via maps is usually the preferred starting point for planners. But to run planning processes effectively and with minimized failures and manual rework, it is vital that network infrastructure details and GIS-based location intelligence be tightly integrated. Furthermore all planned changes, transformations and rollouts must be carried out on accurate as-built documentation, and all changes and status updates need to be reflected immediately in a centralized network infrastructure and resource management solution. This approachprevents data inconsistencies and deviations between as-is documentation and planning data over time due to ongoing planning and execution iterations.
When planning fiber rollouts, infrastructure data and physical connections can be georeferenced with route sections for planners and managers to see trenches, manholes, building entry points, and distances between them on an interactive map in context with streets, buildings, etc. prior to construction. Ducts, micro-ducts, cables, and tray sections can be assigned using comprehensive auto-routing capabilities in combination with validation rules (mapping of valid wire types, connector, and socket types) to optimize planning tasks and ensure that the best paths are established. Any information can be shared internally or with partners using a standard web-based application.
To increase the level of automation and facilitate the interworking with internal field service teams or external partners or subcontractors, it is necessary to apply a process driven approach. This means that by planning the changes and rollouts, the corresponding work orders are automatically created and can be assigned via workflow to field teams and partners for execution. The corresponding status is traced, updates are made to the central infrastructure and resource repository, and the final documentation is automatically created.
Such an automated “closed loop” approach ensures data consistency and accuracy, which is a critical prerequisite in the continuous cycle of network infrastructure and service resource management.
Site management
Planning new POP locations or mobile sites can be cumbersome. The rollout of 5G mobile networks in particular requires a huge number of additional sites for the mobile Radio Access Network (RAN). The management of this site acquisition process is a very labor-intensive and time-consuming task. Every measure that increases efficiency can bring significant savings.
To efficiently manage this process, once again a combination of GIS-based location intelligence and network infrastructure details is required, along with further site information collected for later profiling and rating of the different site candidates. A unified resource inventory with a tightly integrated GIS application is the ideal solution to manage this site acquisition process effectively and efficiently.
In principle the process starts with the geo-coordinates for the “nominal site”. This can either be a calculated parameter provided, for example by radio planning for a mobile site request, or the “desired optimal place” for a POP site. Via radius-search in the GIS application, site candidates (potential buildings, petrol stations, poles, etc. as well as existing partner sites) can be assigned to this requested “nominal site”. During the site selection process all site candidates are supplied with a variety of additional information needed for its profiling and rating, such as existing contractual relations with owners, proximity of fiber network, and many more. This site planning and selection activity is facilitated by seamless navigation between the GIS visualization of the sites and candidates on the map and the representation of the different location details assigned. Based on the best match to certain criteria, one site candidate is selected for further development. At this point, a physical location (building) may be linked, and further documents associated.
The combination of location intelligence with site data, site equipment and network infrastructure details enable the planners to streamline the fiber deployments needed to connect the sites and to manage the equipment rollout and configuration changes required based on the accurate as-is documentation of the available network and services resources and configurations. Ultimately, a holistic view is provided across all information and resources linked to a site, including schematic and geo-referenced representations of fiber optic connections from the data centers to the sites, and even details about the routing to the roof tops.
After the selection process is completed, the new site is determined, and the remaining candidates can be saved and used for further requests.
Geospatial intelligence optimizes infrastructure and resource management
Overall, deep visibility into all network resources and connections improves documenting, planning, and managing any inside and outside plant cable and network infrastructure. From a service assurance perspective, this is the best defense against service interruption. From a planning perspective, it ensures that network upgrades and expansions are based on up-to-date documentation and all changes are reflected in a master data repository.
As geospatial readiness is an important enabler of digital innovation, combining location intelligence with network infrastructure details enables managers to make smarter decisions about network capacity and resiliency, improve network design and planning and support many other use cases to ensure that networks are optimized to handle the demands of the digital world.
The tight integration between a GIS application and a unified resource inventory, addressing as-built documentation as well as planning of changes and rollouts via an integrated data model,will provide the expanded functionality CSPs need today, and fundamentally improve the way they manage their hybrid infrastructure and network resources.
High-end geographical visualization, together with comprehensive infrastructure and resource management, comprising all passive inside and outside plant as well as all active physical, logical and virtual resources of a hybrid network infrastructure, will bring network asset and resource data to life and improve capacity management, planning, and operational use cases based on accurate data.
