The Age of Telecom Network Automation
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The Age of Telecom Network Automation Automating Engineering and Network Operation RAN Processes Telecom Engineering Centre of Excellence (TEE) Introduction 3 Operating networks in 5G: 5 A brave new world Leap ahead through Automation 6 Key components of RAN automation 7 Is automation only about technology? 11 Which RAN use cases are we seeing 15 on the market? How are we succeeding 18 with our customers? Conclusions 20 An ecosystem of automation 21 specialist partners Who we are 22 Glossary 23 References 24 Contacts 25 The Age of Telecom Network Automation | Automating Engineering and Network Operation RAN Processes Introduction We are in the dawn of a new era in what Ultimately, the goal of communication We are in the dawn of regards telecommunications networks' services providers (CSP) is to become a new reality in Telecom reality. This reality extends to multiple digital services providers (DSP), domains: network services provisioning, exposing their network into on-demand networks, not another network services architecture, and consumable services: flexible, fast to incremental step network engineering and operations, while provision and manage, with tailored being driven by disparate requirements quality of service and service level or evolution. ranging from service flexibility and agreements that need to cope with the increased service quality, to the need to promise of the three main pillars of 5G lower Operational Expenditure (OPEX) and (enhanced mobile broadband, ultra Capital Expenditure (CAPEX). reliable low latency and massive machine type communications). From a foundational perspective, in In such a world, automation is not an a world moving to 5G, this is not an option but mandatory, as it will need to incremental step. The new standalone dynamically manage and orchestrate architecture (SA) and distributed vRAN all the above services at such a volume (Virtual Radio Access Network) that and complexity whilst at the same time 5G will bring is being defined as cloud coordinating a multitude of data and native, and not merely Network Function technical domains, that it would never Virtualization (NFV) oriented, meaning be feasible based only on manual human a huge disruption compared to today’s operations. reality. Furthermore, the new paradigm will In fact, as of today, the network roles are be about managing end-to-end (E2E) either provided by monolithic solutions, customer service and not about managing or by software components running on networks, meaning that orchestration and top of virtual machines, but rare are the automation need to be service focused vendors that have embraced the cloud and not merely network focused. This native Virtualized Network Functions requires quite a disruptive approach to (VNF) challenge. aspects such as organizational structure, data governance, company culture, and technical skills, as organizations move out of the traditional NetOps model. 3 The Age of Telecom Network Automation | Automating Engineering and Network Operation RAN Processes E2E service orchestration is still far from yet delivering fully on their promise, In this new era, mass adoption, but which building blocks with the advent of 5G a cloud native of automation in 5G are already appearing approach using automation is automation is not an in the market? unavoidable. option but mandatory. And which are the lessons learned This paper provides a view on the above Defining the automation we are already seeing as CSP start to topics, with a focus on Radio Access building blocks, really automate their engineering and Network, as well as presenting Deloitte’s operations activities? Telecom Engineering Centre of Excellence learning from the early Even more relevant: How to define the EMEA (Tee CoE) proposed methodology adopters and having journey to automation as we move to 5G? to address the challenges that arise from this new Telecom Era. Following a solid approach is While both software defined network this document, our team will publish paramount. (SDN) and NFV domains have been subsequent points of view for different maturing for some time and are not automation domains. Pedro Tavares Hugo Pinto Partner Senior Manager, TEE Head of TEE Network Automation Knowledge Lake Head 4 The Age of Telecom Network Automation | Automating Engineering and Network Operation RAN Processes Operating networks in 5G: A brave new world 5G is the first mobile telecommunications 5G Standalone architecture (SA) is The above topics, coupled with the fact generation that was thought from its natively thought to be as flexible and that 4G, 3G and 2G still subsist and will still inception to be based on virtualization, automated as possible, not being another need to coexist with 5G for a significant implementing concepts like network overlaid radio technology with some core amount of time together with other slicing, relying on open features such as network adaptations. 5G is therefore factors as illustrated in Picture 1, lead to API (Application Programming Interface), the mobile generation that will support a simple conclusion: the current model and a service based architecture to deliver the migration of a business model from of operation of telecommunications the promise of tailored connectivity for a CSP to DSP, where the latter intends to networks in a world that changes to 5G vast universe of use cases. New concepts expose their assets via API to provision is doomed. Automation will therefore be like network slicing and its provisioning and monetize innovative services with a a vital step for the new operating model of requirements, as well as the exponential flexible and reduced time-to-market, that DSP, and the application of automation in increase of both connected devices and are completely new and far more similar operation and network management will data traffic on the network, will make to the ones of over-the-top players and be a major step of the transformation of engineering and operations tasks, such hyperscalers than traditional telecom CSP to DSP. as network optimization, provisioning, connectivity services of the old days. supervision and maintenance, impossible to be carried out without automation. Operators need to move to Digital Service Provider Model, managing end-to-end services on the fly Operators' multiple access networks Operators are implementing (2G/3G/4G/5G), force the need to tackle Network Virtualization, moving network operational complexity to a far more dynamic environment Operators need to manage a growing Operators have relentless need to diversity of network services and OPEX and minimize CAPEX massive Internet of Things (IoT) Picture 1 – Reasons for the change of the telecommunications network operating model in a world that moves to 5G Automation CSPs’ approach to network management by legacy infrastructure and proprietary automation and overall business hardware systems, severely restricting their digitalization depends on several factors, ability to extract value from the deployment the most important of which include of new software applications, and ultimately Orchestration strategic priorities, competitive pressures, slowing down innovation. However, by region of operation, and the state of existing automating operations, implementing infrastructure. both E2E service orchestration and a domain Mediation/Abstraction/ Some of the biggest bottlenecks in a Orchestration layer, and using Artificial CSP’s digital transformation journey are Intelligence/Machine Learning Common Infrastructure the existing systems and architectural engines, CSPs enable their digital structures. Most CSPs are overwhelmed transformation journey towards DSP. Picture 2 – Future High-Level Network Architecture 5 The Age of Telecom Network Automation | Automating Engineering and Network Operation RAN Processes Leap ahead through automation To tackle the challenges laid out Telco investments in AI will reach around US$11,2B by 20251 previously, automation will act as the foundation pillar to manage the E2E user experience. Those who do not want to be left trailing are heavily investing in leaping SON is estimated to represent a US$5,5B market until the end of 20222 towards the benefits of automation and its underlying technologies such as service orchestration, automation solutions such as (in the radio access) self Orchestration and NFV market is projected to surpass US$70B by 20243 organizing networks (SON) and Machine Learning (ML), as well as network virtualization, as can be easily inferred Sources: Tractica, Research and Markets, and Market Study Report from market study reports regarding the sector. Early investors in automation are Improved Tier 3-5 CSP clients in Automation and Orchestration have already envisioning secure long- ROI experienced roughly 400% ROI over the past 5 years4 term returns and acknowledging the ability that automation applied to Sources: Cisco networking is demonstrating. This can be seen in relevant indicators such as cost reduction, increased group Improved 70% to 90% of repetitive network maintenance work can be Consistency automated via machine learning, improving consistency and efficiency5 efficiency, consistent service delivery, swift time-to-market and customer Sources: Deloitte, Tupl experience. One of the front-running banners Team Team effort reduction of around37% in RAN engineering efficiency management by deploying SON algorithms5 carried by the automation wave is efficiency increase across the Sources: Deloitte, Cellwize whole chain that comprises the implementation