Page 45 - Mobile World Daily - Day 3
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TEKTRONIX COMMUNICATIONS | FEATURED INTERVIEW
In short, it’s far easier to find what you’re At the end of the day, it is about visibility RK: Operators are facing business and RK: Mobile operators are no strangers to
looking for, if you know where you should into subscriber so operators can provide the technology challenges as they contemplate the change. The launch and evolution of LTE in
be looking. right experience at the right time and create move towards virtualised environments. Their recent years has required a steady stream of
upsell opportunities. ARPUs are typically flat or declining, they have investment to improve network architecture
There’s a real and growing opportunity for already invested in LTE infrastructure and this and keep up with the explosion in subscriber
operators to target markets that would MWD: DO YOU THINK THAT TELCOS transition to virtualisation, although reduces data usage. However, despite this costly and
benefit from the rich and unique data insights NOW ACCEPT THAT VIRTUALISATION cost over time, will require investments in time-consuming process, operators are still
they have available. Operators have always THROUGH NFV AND SDN IS NOW A technologies that are in early stages of faced with flattening ARPUs and growing
had access to this powerful information. But, REQUIREMENT FOR THEIR FUTURE maturing in terms of providing the same competition from OTT providers.
it’s only by distilling and providing it in a form SURVIVAL? performance as dedicated hardware.
that is of value to additional internal The universal response to this has been
stakeholders and third parties, such as the RK: It’s widely accepted that NFV Adopting effective measurement tools has migration to a virtualised network infrastructure
enterprise market, that they will truly reveal represents the evolution of network design, always been important for monitoring through NFV. By virtualising, automating and
the monetisation opportunities this highly and ultimately holds the key to improving performance of a hardware-based network. In streamlining processes, operators can
lucrative revenue stream has to offer. service delivery, whilst optimizing capex. The fact, Tektronix Communications has built its significantly reduce opex. A virtualised approach
transition from hardware-based to software- business on the back of providing a robust and also enhances their ability to roll out new
MWD: WHAT ARE THEY HOPING TO defined networks and more affordable COTS reliable end-to-end service assurance platform services and features in minutes rather than days.
ACHIEVE THROUGH THE USE OF hardware will simplify process management, for operators. In a virtualised environment, the
TOOLS TO HELP THEM PROCESS reduce capital expenditure and allow needs of the operator are the same; they still MWD: WHAT DO YOU EXPECT, OR
VAST AMOUNTS OF DATA? operators to make changes to existing rely on the ability to quickly diagnose and HOPE, TO SEE IN THE COMING 12
infrastructure in minutes rather than days. troubleshoot problems to ensure the highest MONTHS?
RK: By rolling out LTE operators have possible level of customer experience.
improved network speed and connectivity, The question that remains, however, is how RK: The average subscriber’s data usage is
which has encouraged subscribers to consume operators will manage the move to a Therefore, to avoid the risk of service showing no sign of slowing down, but as we
and generate more data than ever before. virtualized environment. To make things run disruptions, increased churn rates and damaged move through 2015 their reliance on
smoothly, it’s vital operators establish data reputations when moving to a software-based traditional carrier-provided services like
In doing so, operators now have a wealth of and analytics strategies to ensure the process network architecture, it’s essential that voice calls and text messaging is decreasing
rich, valuable subscriber information at their is seamless and these new business operators have access to these same tools. every day.
disposal. This intelligence is primarily useful opportunities are not lost.
for performance monitoring. However, To ensure network functionality and In current network environments, over-the-
forward-thinking operators are already In a virtualised environment, it is even performance in a fast-moving NFV top players like Skype and WhatsApp have
employing data scientists to expose more crucial to ensure visibility into the environment, operators will need to work the monopoly and are negatively impacting
opportunities far beyond service assurance traffic as network functions become more with a service assurance provider that can on ARPU. This trend isn’t likely to change any
and network engineering. dynamic and elastic. Operators really have a keep up, delivering the same level of network time soon, which is why NFV has become
lot to consider before switching on NFV/SDN intelligence and analytics, regardless of the impossible for carriers to ignore.
Operators that are able to fully harness this and they are in early stages at the moment, hardware it is running on.
data will be able to create new revenue but beginning to embrace it as a way to 2014 was a test bed for NFV, which means
streams and business opportunities with a compete with OTT players. MWD: HOW FAR DOWN THE LINE ARE this is the year when operators move from
range of third-party organisations; sectors as TELCOS IN THIS planning to implementation. It’s a fair
diverse as retail and entertainment brands to MWD: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE KEY TRANSFORMATIONAL JOURNEY - assumption that 2015’s Mobile World
regional and national governments will be CHALLENGES THAT FACE THEM IN AND ARE THEY DOING ENOUGH TO Congress will be the start of serious NFV
able to benefit from the high value data THE MOVE TOWARDS A MORE OVERCOME COMMERCIAL discussions for the more progressive
network operators own. VIRTUALISED ENVIRONMENT? PRESSURES AND FLAT-LINING operators and we’re enjoying some interesting
ARPU? meetings with our operator customers.
MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS DAILY 2015 | www.mobileworldcongress.com Wednesday 4th March PAGE 45
