A Single Source of Truth: End-to-End Wireless Network Lifecycle Management for Small Cells

Transcription

1 A Single Source of Truth: End-to-End Wireless Network Lifecycle Management for Small Cells A White Paper By Laith Dahiyat Director, Global Wireless StrategyAccruent A Single Source of Truth: End-to-End Wireless Network Lifecycle Management for Small Cells A White Paper 1

2 Introduction The complex process of deploying ever-changing technology is the driving initiative in the wireless industry today. In just two and a half years, 90% of the U.S. population has accessibility to LTE networks. And this is just the beginning. With the advent of small cell networks, the wireless industry faces a new set of challenges in deploying and maintaining those networks. Many companies in the industry have a very fragmented process for tracking site, project, lease, and asset information management environment with multiple point solutions that each manage a small piece of the network management lifecycle. But these multiple point solutions don t feed data into a consolidated view of the network. Adding to this is the complexity of legacy information management systems, the complexity of networks, and the significant increase in deployments to meet the growing demands of wireless data. In turn, this leads to the growing complexity and sophistication of financial and project management requirements. And this complexity and sophistication continue to grow as global markets progress from 3G to LTE and LTE Advanced, and with the introduction of heterogeneous networks. The demands require different data for different roles within carrier companies in order to have successful deployments. For example, carrier executives need visibility into project status, network status and vendor performance from a high level. Functional managers and senior management require more granular aspects of the network. Site development teams responsible for the build out of networks and the deployment of new technologies need tools that make it easy to manage the tens of thousands, even hundreds of thousands of projects by site. Complex projects such as these require standardized templates that capture best practices, but also need to retain the right amount of flexibility to deal with real world scenarios such as adapting to local zoning regulations. As a trusted partner for all four major U.S. carriers, Accruent s solutions manage sites, projects, leases,and assets, creating this central system of record, or rather, a single source of the truth. And, as a trusted partner for all four major U.S. carriers, Accruent s solutions manage sites, projects, leases, and assets, creating this central system of record, or rather, a single source of the truth. The company s Siterra software solution already runs over 1.5 million projects across all customers and specializes in large scale network build outs and upgrades, connecting wireless carriers, tower companies and the service providers do the work. With the impending race to deploy small cells as carriers seek to densify networks in response to exponential increases in consumer demand for data, carriers face a new set of challenges that only having a single source of truth can address. Read this white paper to learn more about these challenges and what you can do to find a way to manage and accelerate small cell deployments. A Single Source of Truth: End-to-End Wireless Network Lifecycle Management for Small Cells A White Paper 2

3 Win Big, Think Small: Overcoming the Challenges of Small Cell Deployment Executive Summary Wireless carriers are racing to deploy small cells in the field. AT&T plans to deploy more than 40,000 small cells by the end of The rush to small cells is only likely to increase as carriers seek to densify networks in response to exponential increases in consumer demand for data. Yet these deployments are no easy task. Small cells present many complex deployment challenges that go far beyond those posed by macrosites. Traditional deployment processes don t account for all the site-based complexities of installing microcells. Small issues can quickly escalate and lead to installation errors, poor data quality, and disputes between carriers and service providers about what was deployed when. Each problem drives up costs and slows deployments. Carriers, tower companies and their service providers must find a way to manage and accelerate small cell deployments. Otherwise, as the volume of projects rises, the complexities of deployments could threaten the timing and success of enterprise-wide small cell programs. Siterra provides a solution. With a new Small Cell Module, Siterra extends its proven wireless site and project management solution with capabilities that match the unique requirements of microcell sites. We re a company with extensive macro, DAS and Wi-Fi experience. When we began to consider our strategy for Small Cells several years ago, it was a natural progression to try to fit them into one of these time-proven and highly-evolved deployment models. But, much like trying to hit the proverbial round peg into a square hole, we rapidly determined this wouldn t work and that we would have to develop a new, and unique model for Small Cells. Jeff Cocking Director of Engineering & Deployment, Goodman Networks The Small Cell Challenge According to analysts, carriers revenues from data likely surpassed those from voice services for the first time in 2013, but those data revenues have not kept pace with traffic growth. 2 As a result, wireless carriers need a cost-effective way to expand capacity and enhance service quality. Small cells are the answer. By turning to small cells, carriers can boost network capacity, especially in densely populated areas where a macrosite isn t enough. Small, relatively inexpensive, and deployable just about anywhere, small cells provide a flexible way to increase capacity and service areas while better managing traffic. Small cell sites present new layers of complexity as compared to traditional macrosite deployments. With all of the zoning, acquisition, and leasing documentation required to build a macrosite, the risk of building it in the 1 Mansfield, Gordon. AT&T Small Cells U.S. Mobile Data Market Update A Single Source of Truth: End-to-End Wireless Network Lifecycle Management for Small Cells A White Paper 3

4 wrong location is close to none. However, it s all too easy to deploy a small cell on the incorrect node inside a building. All it takes is an error in the site plan or a misunderstanding from the installer. Simply knowing that a service provider completed a deployment as designed and billed is more difficult than with a traditional site. If a service provider fails to install two of 50 small cells on a project, the carrier may pay without noticing the error. On the other hand, a service provider may have trouble getting paid for installing small cells if technicians submit inadequate documentation of the deployment. For small cells to deliver on their promise, their deployments must be cost effective. That means they must not unleash a torrent of administrative hassles that drive up the cost to install each antenna. To ensure maximum value from small cells, carriers and their service providers must overcome the following deployment challenges, including: Complex project deployments A small cell deployment project, whether outside or within a building, consists of complex project requirements, with multiple microcells serving as antennas of a hub. Each project entails many of the design, leasing, feasibility, permitting, and zoning issues of a traditional macrosite. Threading in backhaul and power to each cell can be a nightmare, depending on the building. From rooftop femtocells to distributed antenna systems (DAS) inside an airport to picocells on utility poles, each type of small cell has its own set of challenges. Taking into account end-to-end documentation, a new small cell deployment can take up to 200 days or more. Absent an efficient way to manage and accelerate complex deployments, carriers and service providers risk encountering costly delays at every step in the process. Aggressive project volume Carriers plan to deploy massive numbers of small cells, and they ve barely gotten started. As noted earlier, AT&T plans to deploy 40,000 small cells by 2015 as part of a three-year, US$14 billion initiative. 3 As a carrier or service provider to carriers, you must be able to choose sites, install antennas, lay backhaul, and maintain them at a massive scale. Only a highly efficient and accurate process driving deployment will allow carriers to meet their goals for the number of devices deployed. 40,000 20, AT&T small cells deployment Rising costs Wireless traffic has exploded in recent years thanks to the prevalence of smart mobile devices. The trend shows no signs of slowing. In a recent report, Cisco estimated that mobile data traffic will increase 13-fold by The need to accommodate increased traffic while retaining customers has pressured carrier margins. Small cells will help carriers keep ahead of ever-increasing system traffic and comparably flat revenue. 3 Mansfield, Gordon. AT&T Small Cells Cisco Visual Networking Index: Forecast and Methodology, www. cisco.com. May A Single Source of Truth: End-to-End Wireless Network Lifecycle Management for Small Cells A White Paper 4

5 The cost to deploy and maintain individual small cell units must be low. Every step in the deployment process and every stage in the lifecycle of a small cell must be automated to the extent possible. Data entry errors and other seemingly minor issues at any step in a project can cause inefficiencies to consume valuable time and money. For instance, a technician installing a device on the wrong node in a shopping center could require reinstallation or make it difficult to even find the device for maintenance. Though small, microcells present huge challenges to carriers and service providers. Deployment processes and technologies designed to support macrosites won t deliver the efficiencies needed for microcells. Only a solution tailored to small cells will enable the wireless industry to meet its deployment goals. Siterra for Small Cells Since 2001, wireless carriers and service providers have relied on Siterra from Accruent to help them manage assets, sites, leases, and projects. Recognizing the unique characteristics of small cell deployment, Accruent developed a module that extends the power of the Siterra solution to accelerate and improve small cell deployment processes. Siterra addresses the challenges of small cell deployment by: Managing complex deployments. Use project templates that group small cells as antennas on a hub to manage deployments at complex sites more easily as an integrated project. Increasing deployment rates. Small Cell Location Analytics helps field technicians work faster and more accurately. Task dependencies boost productivity by ensuring technicians perform the right task at the right time. Scaling to match the influx of small cells. Track multiple projects by site locations and attributes to get a big-picture view of your small cell assets. A Single Source of Truth: End-to-End Wireless Network Lifecycle Management for Small Cells A White Paper 5

6 The red dots represent antenna nodes on a Distributed Antenna System all contained in a hub at an airport. Siterra lets you manage microcells as antennas on a hub, enabling easier project management and faster deployment. Siterra makes it possible to manage dozens, hundreds, or thousands of deployments simultaneously. Each deployment advances more efficiently, and you gain a view into the progress of each project. The following example of a typical deployment with and without Siterra illustrates the value of the solution. Site Management Tailored to Small Cells Siterra delivers the visibility and site management tools that carriers and their service providers need. Those without access to the power of Siterra may try to manage deployments with industry-agnostic, project management or asset management tools. Such tools aren t designed to manage the challenges of small cell deployments. Looking at a typical deployment as an example highlights the inefficiencies of deployment without Siterra and the benefits of deployment with Siterra. Deployment without Siterra Take a DAS installation at an airport as an example. Without visibility across projects, service providers may issue work orders to install antennas well before backhaul is available. This ties up highly skilled technicians who could be deploying microcells in service-ready locations. Field technicians also may have trouble simply finding the correct locations to install the antennas, leading to several being located incorrectly. A Single Source of Truth: End-to-End Wireless Network Lifecycle Management for Small Cells A White Paper 6

7 The technicians are supposed to fill in a form as part of the installation, but are unable to complete the form on-site. They decide to do all the forms associated with the job several days later, skipping several required fields and misremembering details as they fill in other fields. Absent a way to tie their locations to deployments, the technicians cannot verify that they installed all the antennas or placed them in the correct locations. If they skipped a few antennas, it may take months or even years to notice the problem. All the while, the carrier pays leasing fees for assets that aren t even there. And if the carrier does notice and doesn t pay, it takes the service provider that employed the technicians significant time to spot and resolve the issue. Accelerating Deployment with Siterra Siterra transforms the deployment process. In the earliest stages of the project, the carrier sets the stage for a compressed project timeline by organizing the antennas as a hub that includes the organization of the network. This lets the carrier manage the site s complexities more efficiently. With visibility across projects, the carrier knows when backhaul is available. At the optimal time, the carrier provisions the equipment and taps a service provider to install it. The service provider also uses Siterra, letting it manage the installation and billing using the same data as the carrier. Shared data not only enhances collaboration, it also helps the service provider prevent or quickly resolve the kinds of issues that can delay payments. The visibility that Siterra delivers extends to the deployment site. Small Cell Location Analytics in Siterra helps the service provider s field technicians navigate to the desired locations for antenna nodes quickly and accurately. GPS verifies that the technicians are in the correct locations. As technicians commission microcells, Siterra ensures they document the process in compliance with the carrier s data standards; there s no way to skip required fields in Siterra. This high-quality data supports improved asset management over the entire lifecycle of the asset. The Siterra Microstrategy Reporting Engine further leverages this high-quality data to enable visibility across portfolios of hubs and antennas, enabling more strategic management of small cell assets. Siterra for small cell management helps to: Compress deployment project timelines Improve installation and data quality Increase visibility into individual projects and across microcell assets Scale efficient processes to support the microcell asset lifecycle Enhance collaboration between carriers and service providers Conclusion Carriers and service providers must find a way to deploy tens of thousands of small cells without breaking the bank. To keep costs under control, they need a solution that lets them manage large numbers of complex deployments more easily. Ideally, this solution would further streamline the process by giving carriers and their service providers A Single Source of Truth: End-to-End Wireless Network Lifecycle Management for Small Cells A White Paper 7

8 an integrated view into projects. Siterra offers the capabilities carriers and service providers need. Start to finish and beyond Siterra makes it easier to install small cells efficiently while avoiding the issues that lead to delays and increased costs. Use it to: Deploy small cells faster, capturing accurate data throughout the process Manage deployment complexities proactively across projects Scale processes proactively to manage large portfolios of microcells Join the carriers and service providers who already use the Siterra Small Cell Module to accelerate and streamline small cell deployments. About Accruent Accruent helps real estate and facilities leaders deliver long-term, world class operational and financial performance through purpose-built industry suites that deliver greater customer value. Accruent s six product brands, Accruent, FAMIS, Siterra, 360Facility, Evoco and Expesite are used by more than 1,200 leading organizations in 56 countries, including 40% of the Top 100 Retailers, 20% of the Fortune 500, 100 leading universities, all of the Top 4 U.S. Wireless Carriers, and leading service providers managing more than 1.5 billion square feet of property. Founded in 1995, Accruent is headquartered in Austin, Texas, with offices in Santa Monica, California; Evanston, Illinois; Columbus, Ohio; Calgary, Alberta, Canada; and Hong Kong. For more information, contact Accruent at or toll free at and you can visit our website at: A Single Source of Truth: End-to-End Wireless Network Lifecycle Management for Small Cells A White Paper 8