Permanent growth of the traffic from one side, and increasing user experience requirements from another, put a lot of pressure on investments in telecommunication infrastructure more than ever. Aspire supports Network and Private Network Operators along the whole investment journey with top expertise, innovative solutions, and a vendor-independent approach. Vast experience in mobile networks R&D, strategic consulting, network design, planning, operations and performance optimization is embedded in our portfolio of services that aim to support our partners to reach their business goals with optimal CapEx and maximized ROI.

Three segments of our portfolio that address different phases/stages of this journey are presented below:

1. Technology Strategy Consulting, with a goal to set the winning strategy, in terms of spectrum assets, implemented technology and applied solutions.
2. CapEx Optimization Consulting, with a goal to optimize the investments based on performance forecasting and what-if analysis.
3. Network Planning & Design Services, with a goal to execute the strategy through high-level network design and low-level network design, in a way that secures most benefits of deployed technology solutions and defers the need for further investments.

CapEx Optimization Consulting services are designed to support network operators in the second phase of the process – once the strategy is set and the decision is to be made on investments in capacity. Aspire services are based on a combination of top expertise in the field and innovative patented methodology. Finally, what is maybe the important thing when it comes to decisions on CapEx – The Aspire consulting services are performed with vendor and particular solutions independent approach.

CapEx Optimization solutions are divided into three areas – advanced modelling, solution assessment & benchmark and capacity planning.

Advanced modelling is in our view a key for good strategic decisions on capacity, as a smart investment in network capacity should be driven by related target performance and user experience that is required by business reasons in the period to come, and what-if analysis is the best way to evaluate options and do smartest decisions. Some examples of Aspire’s advanced modelling solutions are Machine Learning traffic forecasting, where network operators are supported by customized traffic forecasting models based on state-of-the-art machine learning and forecasting techniques and models like SARIMA, Holt-Winters, xGBoost, Prophet, Deep learning… In our view, to build network capacity with precision, a traffic forecast is needed on the site/sector level, as whole network or area-based forecasts do not provide satisfying results due to significant variations between site traffic patterns. Another important aspect of modelling is to correlate coverage and signal quality with user experience in various network load conditions, understand user experience in different parts of a cell, from close to the antenna towards the cell edge, and furthermore ability to predict user experience in future with traffic growth and network load increase. This is a key functionality for CapEx optimization, as it enables predictive planning of capacity expansions, always correlated with the target user experience to be achieved.

Solution assessment and benchmark modules are designed to support network operators in the important mission of evaluation of different solutions and vendors. Today, with advanced antenna systems and various beamforming solutions, seems like network designers have more options than ever in past. While vendors are advertising their solutions aggressively, it was not that long ago when network operators figured out that the 4×4 MIMO solution in LTE didn’t deliver initially promised gains. In such a situation, proper evaluation and smart introduction of new solutions are more important than ever. The combination of our vast experience in deployments of various solutions on different markets across the globe and our independent, unbiased view makes us a perfect partner for this important mission.

Capacity planning modules are the final stage of CapEx optimization. Our innovative approach supports network operators with what-if analysis for different traffic growth scenarios, predicting user experience evolution in various capacity expansion scenarios, enabling predictive, on-time planning of the network that meets target performance at an optimal total cost of ownership. Furthermore, Aspire has the capability to automate the capacity planning process through the introduction of the latest techniques, like expert systems, AI/ML and automation, supporting operators to build data-driven decisions and take the capacity planning process to the next level.

Our experts are doing continuous research in this area, to improve methodology and support our clients to do the smartest decisions on CapEx investments. Here you can find links to research papers in this field published by Aspire consultants in eminent journals or engineering conferences:

1. Electronics | Free Full-Text | Predictive Capacity Planning for Mobile Networks—ML Supported Prediction of Network Performance and User Experience Evolution (mdpi.com)
2. On the impact of Network density on correlation between Network load and Link adaptation in MIMO-OFDM based Mobile Broadband Networks | IEEE Conference Publication | IEEE Xplore
3. On the downlink capacity of LTE cell | IEEE Conference Publication | IEEE Xplore
4. 124_TEI_1.1.pdf (etran.rs)

Our consultants are dedicated to providing comprehensive information about the modules and actively engaging with our partners to carefully design and deliver a customized solution tailored to their specific needs. For more information you can reach our consulting team: consulting@aspiretechnology.com.