Breathing new life into copper networks

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Huawei's integrated service for modernizing fixed networks spans the full network lifecycle with three core capabilities, powerful tool platforms, and customizable migration solutions. It accelerates broadband speeds, reduces TTM for new services, and lowers TCO.

Operators face a dual threat: new emerging services like 4K are stretching network bandwidth, and competition from multi-service operators (MSOs) is squeezing profits.

Three questions 

Legacy copper networks are huge both in physical size and in terms of the decades of investment they’ve sucked up. 

Breakthrough solutions such as Vectoring and G.fast can deliver 100 Mbps and even Gigabit bandwidth on copper networks, meeting operators’ requirements to keep using legacy copper networks and offering existing services. To do so, three questions must be asked:

What network plan will yield high ROI?

Re-using copper networks and sites to meet new business needs and higher bandwidth demands can maximize ROI.

How can legacy networks be integrated to speed up delivery, reduce costs, and shorten ROI?

Modernizing fixed networks involves cutting over a large number of ports and migrating service data. Legacy networks are structurally complex, network error rates during reconstruction are high, and cutover windows are always tight. 

Operators need to consider a series of “how to” questions when it comes to reconstruction. These include integrating existing networks, optimizing delivery, automating processes, minimizing old and new network coexistence, reducing OPEX, and accelerating TTM so that new services hit the market at the right time.

What will smooth out migration?

Enterprises, in particular, don’t want services interrupted during a network upgrade, and so cutover solutions must be accurate with minimal service downtime. With two tool platforms and three core capabilities, Huawei’s customizable migration solution yields zero-awareness cutover.

Two tool platforms: uNetBuilder and GNEEC cloud (Global Network Evolution & Experience Center Cloud) are the two Huawei tool platforms for network reconstruction.

uNetBuilder is a network consulting and analysis tool that offers efficient data collection capabilities, experiential network evaluation and consulting, and characteristics analysis. Its one-click network report function provides the complete status of network resources and bottlenecks, while TCO and TVO analysis tools show pre- and post-reconstruction trends, which can be used to form investment recommendations.

GNEEC Cloud provides integration services for IP, microwave, optical, and fixed access networks. Its standardized processes streamline data and task flows, reduce data transfer and operating errors, and simplify the delivery process. 

Three customizable core capabilities

On-demand planning for precision investment

Huawei's on-demand planning service helps customers increase network competitiveness. The service uses intelligent site planning tools integrated on GNEEC Cloud, for example, tools for identifying unique value areas and smart site selection, so operators can reuse legacy networks and provide competitive bandwidth.

Value area identification is a scientific model analysis process that classifies low-, mid-, and high-value areas based on factors such as pipeline resources; user density; zone type, for example, commercial or residential; geographical location; and economic profile. 

Target area data is analyzed, converted, and displayed on a Geographic Information System (GIS) map. One-click automatically outputs site selection maps, new site information, equipment configuration lists, and TCO and TVO estimates. Embedded knapsack algorithms carry out site planning based on achievable bandwidth, and ensure the accuracy, reliability, and cost optimization of suggested locations.

Telekom Srbija was the first operator to use Huawei’s smart site planning tools. With an initial project budget of €40 million (US$44 million) and 10 work days allotted for designing each CO, Huawei helped the carrier reduce the projected construction costs by €10 million, increase planning efficiency to one work day per CO, and boost reconstruction efficiency by 30 percent. The scheme provides differentiated bandwidth while protecting the customer's investment and shortening service TTM. 

Fast TTM

Slow delivery lengthens TTM for new services, hijacks competitive opportunities, and drives up OPEX because operators are running two networks.

GNEEC Cloud’s range of integrated migration tools includes capacity reduction, site planning, and mobile call tests. Functions for service analysis, data conversion, service cutover, and integration acceptance streamline task and data flows, boost migration efficiency, and reduce human error. Unified task management and visual scheduling management enable a real-time overview of the delivery schedule and risks.

Huawei's one-stop cabinet satisfies more than 10 kinds of major customer requirements in a single cabinet, minimizing customization needs, leaving existing network services unaffected, and quickly expanding capacity.

Telecom Italia (TI) chose Huawei for its broadband and narrowband synergy network reconstruction project. With a tight deadline and 6 million lines, its previous partner lacked the automated tools and delivered just five sites in nine months – a feat that Huawei equaled in just two and a half months, which then led to further cooperation. 

Leave those services alone

Access networks are structurally complex, provide multiple services, and use equipment from different vendors; however, minimal service impact during reconstruction is not just expected, it’s essential.

Huawei's solution for modernizing fixed networks supports data conversion on more than 50 types of access equipment from more than ten manufacturers, enabling all old services to be migrated across zero-awareness cutover schemes like jumper wire duplexing. Simultaneous cutover takes place around-the-clock for data and port migration, slashing service downtime.

Huawei’s site customization solutions maximize the utilization and reconstruction of legacy networks and equipment, minimizing changes to current networks, decreasing costs, and speeding up delivery. Re-shell and Topbox use existing sites, while others reuse legacy cable bundles. BT, Saudi Arabia STC, and Telefonica Chile have all successfully used these solutions. 

Huawei's solution for modernizing fixed networks helps operators assess their existing copper networks to maximize ROI, reduce errors during reconstruction, and boost delivery efficiency in different scenarios for different types of network users.

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