O2 has deployed Centralised Self Organising Network (C-SON) technology in its 5G network in a bid to optimise customer experience.
Telefónica’s UK brand already integrated C-SON into its 2G, 3G and 4G networks using technology from P.I. Works, and is now expanding the partnership. It also uses distributed SON (D-SON) alongside C-SON, where SON functionality is built into the network software itself, to enable faster decision-making.
O2 says improvements enabled by self-organising networks include automated load-balancing decisions, where customers are automatically moved between the 3G and 4G networks, when one network is congested, for example – this will increasingly include 5G as the network grows.
The technology can also save energy as smart turn-off within D-SON drops carriers and capacity when demand is low and brings them up as it increases.
Further, C-SON, which O2 says can make 22,000 autonomous network decisions every day, can help simplify new cell-site set-up, automatically organising them with all the neighbouring cell sites within the existing network to speed up deployment. C-SON also automates code planning to avoid cell site clashes.
Brendan O’Reilly, Chief Technology Officer at Telefónica UK, commented, “Our customers are the first consideration in everything we do – and introducing self-organising technology into our 5G network is no different. Using customer insight is core to how we design, build and enhance our services, so introducing innovation that lets us optimise our 5G network based on customers’ real-time experience is a vital step forward in driving improvements.
"We were the first operator in the UK to introduce C-SON into our networks, and we’re delighted to be working with P.I. Works to lead the way on 5G C-SON now.”
Source: https://www.mobileeurope.co.uk/press-wire/o2-automates-5g-network-management