Finding The Best Radio Network Planning

and Radio Network Optimization Software

(A Survey)

Muhammad Waqas Akram

14/05/2012

Waqas.Akram@gmail.com

Telecom Mobile Operators Are Facing Declining Revenues And

Increasing Costs That Are Putting Pressure On Their Margins

Revenue Drivers

•ARPU from

•Voice Traffic

•SMS Traffic

•Data Traffic

• Bundled and Flat rates

Revenue

Costs

Cost Drivers

•Wages

•Electricity/Maintenance

•Site lease/rent

•Roll out of New Technologies e.g. LTE

According to Oliver Wyman1, Network operations constitutes

approximately 25% of the total OPEX for a mature market

Telco. We can assume that for a growing market operator the

cost of Network Operations is higher due to capacity expansion

and personnel training

OPEX Cost Drivers1

(Mature Market Operator)

OPEX Cost Drivers2

(Growing Market Operator)

1. “Increasing Efficiency with Network Status Management” (Oliver Wyman), 2009

2. Assumption

The pressure on the margins is also stopping Telcos from new investments. As a result in Developing

markets the penetration of new technologies e.g. 3G and LTE is low. The mobile offerings are outdated

and the businesses are struggling to take advantage of the mobile phone service.

Radio Network Planning

Radio Network

Optimization

Network Management

New Software

Deployment

Any RNP1 And RNO2 Software That Lacks The Latest Features Defined

By Standard Bodies Can Increase The OPEX And CAPEX For Telcos

Improper Cell planning and Site planning leading to deployment of

more BTSs

Growing requirement of network optimization activities e.g. Drive Tests, Antenna tilt changes etc.

More human interaction required for network monitoring, script writing and execution for radio

network parameter changes etc.

Unnecessary costs can incur e.g. trainings of RNP and RNO teams on

“wrong” software, swapping old software with software supporting

latest features, new licenses etc.

Increased CAPEX

Increased OPEX

Increased OPEX

Increased Switching Costs

Increasing

Costs

1. Radio Network Planning

2. Radio Network Optimization

The cost of not using the best available RNP and RNO software can be significant. We analyzed the

opinion of users to see which RNP and RNO software are considered better than their competitors.

A Survey Was Conducted To Find The Opinion Of Users Of Radio

Network Planning And Radio Network Optimization Software

The survey was distributed to the global community of Radio Network Planning and Radio Network

Optimization Engineers through Facebook, LinkedIn groups and mailing lists. The survey can be found at

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3BHX9C8

210Number of respondents who

answered all the questions in

the survey

9.52%

23.81%

28.57%

4.76%

33.33%

Less than 1 year

1 to 3 years

3 to 5 years

5 to 7 years

More than 7 years

Experience of respondents in the

fields of Radio Network Planning

and Radio Network Optimization

23Number of Mobile Operators

with which respondents have

worked

13Number of countries in which

respondents have worked

26.47% 23.53% 17.65%

Top 3 equipment suppliers with

whom respondents have

worked

“ATOLL” Is The Most Favourite Software. “Site Planning” Is The

Most Performed Daily Activity Among The Respondents

47.62%

71.43%

0.00%

19.05%

0.00%0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Asset ATOLL TCPU NetAct Other

Software Usage

66.67%76.19%

57.14%52.38%

33.33%

0.00%0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

Site Planning Frequency

Planning

Neighbour

Planning

Physical

Optimization

Database

Management

Other

Daily Activities

Respondents were allowed to choose more than one software. Respondents selected all daily activities which they perform on

Radio Network Planning software.

28.6%

23.8%

19.0% 19.0%

9.5%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

Site Planning Frequency

Planning

Neighbour

Planning

Physical

Optimization

Database

Management

Activity That Is Performed The Most

Respondents were allowed to choose only one option. Site

planning is performed mostly on daily basis. However it does not

mean that other activities are not performed at all.

Respondents were allowed to choose only one option. Database

Management is the least performed daily activity.

9.5%

14.3%

19.0%

23.8%

33.3%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

Site Planning Frequency

Planning

Neighbour

Planning

Physical

Optimization

Database

Management

Activities That Are Performed The Least

Activity That Is Performed The Most And Activity That Is

Performed The Least Vary For Each Software

30%

22% 21%

23%

28%

21%

17%

20%

29%

20%

17%

14%

10%

13%14%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

ASSET ATOLL TCPU NetAct

Split of Activities Performed Using Radio Network Planning Software

Site Planning Frequency Planning Neighbour Planning Physical Optimization Database Management

Respondents were allowed to choose multiple answers.

Radio Network Planning Software Have Been Mostly Used For 3G

Followed By 2G/2.5G Technology

Respondents were allowed to choose multiple answers.

46.2%

36.4%

0.0%

25.0%

38.5%

50.0%

0.0%

50.0%

15.4%13.6%

0.0%

25.0%

0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

ASSET ATOLL TCPU NetAct

Technologies For Which Radio Network Planning Software Is Used

2G/2.5G 3G 4G/LTE

According To The Respondents, “Prediction” Is The Most Important

Feature Whereas “Client-server Model” Is The Least Important Feature

Respondents were asked to rank Radio Network Planning software features from 1 to 10

where 10 indicates the most important feature and 1 indicate the least important feature.

The average rank of each feature is used in this chart.

9

7.56

7.29

8.31

7.15

7.93

7.53

6.88

7.63

6.6

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

Prediction

Database Management

OSS Script Generation

Ease of Use

Transfer of Knowledge

Database Export/Import

Technical Support

Availability of Training programs and training material

Availability of Upgrades for new technologies

Client-Server Model

Rank (Nr.)

Ranking of Features (Average)

“Actix” Is The Most Favourite Software. “Overshoot Analysis” Is

The Most Performed Daily Activity Among The Respondents

Respondents were allowed to choose more than one software. Respondents selected all daily activities which they perform on

Radio Network Optimization software.

Respondents were allowed to choose only one option. Overshoot

Analysis is performed mostly on daily basis. However it does not

mean that other activities are not performed at all.

Respondents were allowed to choose only one option. End to End

Trace Analysis is performed the least everyday.

52.4%

28.6%

19.0%14.3%

0.0%0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

Actix TEMS Discovery RANOPT Nemo Analyze Other

Software Usage

38.1%

66.7%

47.6%

23.8%14.3%

0.0%0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

Neighbour

Optimization

Overshoot

Analysis

Frequency

Optimization

Traffic

Balancing

End to End

Trace

Analysis

Other

Daily Activities

9.5%

33.3%

9.5%

23.8% 23.8%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

Neighbour

Optimization

Overshoot

Analysis

Frequency

Optimization

Traffic Balancing End to End Trace

Analysis

Activities That Are Performed The Most

23.8%

9.5%

14.3%

23.8%

28.6%

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

Neighbour

Optimization

Overshoot

Analysis

Frequency

Optimization

Traffic Balancing End to End Trace

Analysis

Activities That Are Performed The Least

All Software Are Used To Perform “Overshoot Analysis” The Most.

Activity That Is Performed The Least Varies For Each Software

Respondents were allowed to choose multiple answers.

16.67%

23.08% 23.08%

16.67%

33.33%30.77% 30.77%

50.00%

30.00%

23.08% 23.08%

16.67%

13.33%

23.08%15.38%

0.00%

6.67%

0.00%

7.69%

16.67%

0.00%

10.00%

20.00%

30.00%

40.00%

50.00%

60.00%

Actix TEMS Discovery RANOPT Nemo Analyze

Split of Activities Performed Using Radio Network Optimization Software

Neighbour Optimization Overshoot Analysis Frequency Optimization Traffic Balancing End to End Trace Analysis

Radio Network Optimization Software Have Been Mostly Used

For 2G/2.5G Followed By 3G Technology

Respondents were allowed to choose multiple answers.

42.9%

33.3%

50.0%

66.7%

42.9%44.4%

16.7%

33.3%

14.3%

22.2%

33.3%

0.0%0.0%

10.0%

20.0%

30.0%

40.0%

50.0%

60.0%

70.0%

Actix TEMS Discovery RANOPT Nemo Analyze

Technologies For Which Radio Network Optimization Software Is Used

2G/2.5G 3G 4G/LTE

According To The Respondents, “Ease of Use” Is The Most Important Feature

Whereas “Upgradable to New Technologies” Is The Least Important Feature

Respondents were asked to rank Radio Network Optimization software features from 1 to

9 where 9 indicates the most important feature and 1 indicate the least important feature.

The average rank of each feature is used in this chart.

7.27

7.13

7.13

6.86

6.6

6.4

6.2

6.27

5.93

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Ease of Use

Vendor Independence

Enhanced and Better Reporting Options

Useful Recommendations for Optimization

Processing Time of Raw Data

Transfer of Knowledge

Technical Support

Availability of Training Programs and Training Material

Upgradable to New Technologies

Rank (Nr.)

Ranking of Features (Average)

Some Of The Mobile Operators Where Respondents Are Working

Or Have Worked In The Past