The solution looks to reduce complexity and helps MNOs make decisions about systematic and end-user centric network improvements. It also looks to address the end-user quality of experience (QoE) issue for a mobile network - one of the main factors that can influence customer churn and which has a direct impact on the business of mobile network operators (MNOs).
Driven by technological evolution in telecommunications, the entire mobile network ecosystem is becoming more and more dynamic and complex for MNOs. Versatile network technologies up-to 5G, infrastructure and new architecture like Open RAN co-exist, and the ongoing deployment of private networks adds even more complexity.
As a result, it’s essential for MNOs to be able to efficiently collect and process data in a very short time to maximise benefits. To this end, Rohde & Schwarz’s next generation benchmarking solution, which features the Benchmarker 3 data collection platform and a set of new features, will allow MNOs to reduce complexity and costs while gaining more value out of their collected data.
The Benchmarker 3 is the third generation of the company’s benchmarking hardware and the technological core of its data collection equipment. Benchmarker 3 offers a reduced footprint for easier installation and fewer computing components for the same number of measurement devices making it easier to configure and maintain.
New airflow management enables temperature control for devices that tend to overheat when handling high 5G data throughput and the modular concept will enable easy expansion that can be applied to new installations as well as existing Benchmarker II systems.
All these factors are combined in the Benchmarker 3 to ensure uniform, stable conditions and highly reliable operations during large-scale network benchmarking measurement campaigns. In summary, the data collection platform has higher performance, a more compact design, is lighter, consumes less power and is fully backward compatible with the components of its forerunner Benchmarker II.
To reduce operational expenses (OPEX) and simplify recurring tasks, Rohde & Schwarz offers cloud-based configurations as well as a set of state-of-the-art features to remotely control and monitor the test system. Along with the launch of Benchmarker 3, it is introducing new smart end-to-end campaign automation management that automates multiple background tasks for the entire workflow of a network benchmarking measurement campaign and orchestrates data collection, fleet management and post processing.
Extracting fast and relevant insights from the collected data is key, especially since more dynamic and versatile network environments require shorter reaction times. In order to address this, Rohde & Schwarz has enhanced its proven SmartAnalytics suite with new features, including the generation of automated insights and reports, more efficient management of big data from continuous benchmarking campaigns combined with new special data structures for long-term and historical trend analysis as well as smart end-to-end campaign automation.
In combination with machine learning assisted test use cases, SmartAnalytics now has higher performance and can extract more value out of collected data in shorter time than ever before.
Rohde & Schwarz network benchmarking solutions support the ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) harmonised test methodology documented in TR 103 559. The integrative scoring methodology substantially reduces complexity since it indicates the network performance based on terabytes of aggregated data in a single performance score per operator. Moreover, SmartAnalytics offers a seamless direct drill down feature that navigates in a few clicks from the high-level view to the application view and down to lower layers, including the physical network layer. Users can retrieve single test samples from terabytes of data, identify root-causes of failed test samples and understand how these impact QoE.
The Rohde & Schwarz network benchmarking solutions will enable mobile network operators and regulatory authorities to transparently and systematically assess and increase the quality and performance of mobile networks, in order to enhance the perceived quality for end-users.
