Amdocs announced that it has completed, in a collaboration with Amdocs partner vHive, a proof of concept (PoC) with Philippines-based PLDT’s wireless subsidiary Smart Communications (Smart) that showcases how service providers can harness autonomous drone technology to transform how they manage and maintain network towers, while also reducing their carbon footprint.
The PoC provided Smart with an advanced, safe, sustainable way to replicate their network towers by digitizing Smart’s portfolio. Working with vHive, Amdocs’ Drone-Aided Site and Inventory Audits solution powers autonomous drone flights to simplify data capturing, effectively creating a digital twin of towers quicker than manual inspections.
Multiple teams such as network planning, optimization, engineering, and operations typically send out tower-climbing teams when they need to survey a site. This leads to duplication of effort and unnecessary truck rolls. Through the PoC, Smart was able to dramatically reduce truck rolls, minimizing its environmental impact while achieving greater operational efficiency and improved data accuracy and analysis in support of its vision of transitioning to AIOps and Autonomous Network Operations.
By leveraging the digital twin and wider solution, which integrates with Amdocs’ network inventory offering to ensure a single source of truth for the tower, Smart can also gain ongoing value around other use cases, from planning and design to compliance reviews and mount mapping/inspections.
Eric Santiago, FVP and Head of Network at PLDT and Smart
As we maximize the network we have put in place across the country and aim for better customer experience – we also need to empower our people and processes with the right technology to continuously improve. Digital Inspection is a good example of how we are holistically transforming every aspect of our network to a future state through new ways of working and using automation to evolve our operations. This is a step towards Smart’s vision of being the best in customer experience by building a fully automated, intelligent, highly efficient network, and putting in place sustainable network and operations.
Anthony Goonetilleke, Group President of Technology and Head of Strategy at Amdocs
We are excited to work with Smart to showcase this innovative solution and empower Smart on its automation and digitization journey. At a time when service providers across the globe are looking to reduce their carbon footprint and become more efficient, this project highlights the vast potential of new technologies to enable agility and accelerate business outcomes.
