Self-Organizing Networks: Self-Planning, Self-Optimization and Self-Healing for GSM, UMTS and LTE

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The Self-Organizing Networks (SON) Paradigm

Frank Lehser, Juan Ramiro, Miguel A. Regueira Caumel, Khalid Hamied and Salvador Pedraza

2.1. Motivation and Targets from NGMN*

Reduction of cost and complexity is a key driver for Long Term Evolution (LTE), since with its deployment the new network layer needs to coexist with legacy systems without additional operating cost. Thus, it is of vital interest for operators to introduce automated engineering functions that minimize Operational Expenditure (OPEX) and, at the same time, increase network performance by dynamically adjusting the system configuration to the varying nature of wireless cellular networks. In this respect, technological advances allowing higher processing power with increased cost efficiency need to be leveraged in order to maintain or improve end-user performance while, at the same time, simplifying and improving network operability.

Deploying and operating cellular networks is a complex task that comprises many activities, such as planning, dimensioning, deployment, testing, prelaunch optimization, postlaunch optimization, comprehensive performance monitoring, failure mitigation, failure correction and general maintenance. Today, such critical activities are extremely labor-intensive and, hence, costly and prone to errors, which may result in customer dissatisfaction and increased churn.

Figure 2.1 shows the natural tendency towards a higher degree of automation and operational efficiency [1]. As can be seen, ...