2013/12/13 As operators strive for “zero touch networks,” optimization/self-organizing market grows

Campbell, CALIFORNIA, December 12, 2013—Market research firm Infonetics Research released excerpts from its 2013 Self-Organizing Networks (SON) and Optimization Software report, which tracks SON software by generation (3G, 4G) and by architecture (centralized, distributed) as well as 2G and 3G optimization software for the mobile network optimization market.

“Self-organizing networks (SON) remain baked in LTE, but as an evolutionary 3GGP technology, SON will continue to evolve, offering more and more advanced features. So deploying SON for 3G optimization – with the zero-touch network as the long-term goal – is something that’s natural and logical for many operators,” notes Stéphane Téral, principal analyst for mobile infrastructure and carrier economics at Infonetics Research.

Téral adds: “There is at least one cumbersome task, however, that can’t be easily automated and will require human intervention for quite a long time: drive testing. Our discussions with large mobile operators confirm there’s no way to replace today’s rudimentary technique of having a crew cruising a neighborhood in a truck to measure what’s going on.”

• Following 17% growth in 2012 driven by major deployments at AT&T and KDDI and many smaller deals, the global mobile network optimization and self-organizing network (SON) market is on track to grow 13% in 2013
• In a large majority of cases, 3G network optimization, rather than LTE alone, is a key driver for using SON
  • Over 80% of mobile operators worldwide are using SON for 3G/HSPA/HSPA+ optimization
  • Centralized SON (C-SON) is predominant in optimization schemes
• The burgeoning SON segment of the market tripled in 2012
• Infonetics forecasts optimization and SON software to grow to nearly $5 billion by 2017

Infonetics' annual SON and optimization software, report provides worldwide and regional market size, forecasts through 2017, analysis, and trends for the mobile network optimization market, including 2G and 3G optimization software and self-organizing network software by generation (3G, 4G) and by architecture (centralized, distributed). The report includes a mobile subscriber forecast (2G/3G/4G subscribers), a specialist vendor snapshot, and SON use cases from the Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN) Alliance.

The report tracks Tier 1 mobile infrastructure vendors with mobile network optimization tools, including Alcatel-Lucent, Ericsson, Huawei, NSN, Samsung, and ZTE, as well as specialist vendors: Actix/Amdocs, Aircom International, Airhop Communications, Aricent, Ascom, Astellia, Axis Technologies, Celcite, Cellwize, Celtro, Centri, Cisco (Intucell, Ubiquisys), Commsquare, Eden Rock Communications, Forsk, Infovista, InterDigital, JDSU/Arieso, Newfield Wireless, Optulink, P.I.Works, Plano Engineering, Reverb Networks, Schema, Teoco/Schema, Theta Networks, TTG International, Tulinx, Vector, and Xceed Technologies. To buy the report, contact Infonetics: http://www.infonetics.com/contact.asp.


Source: Infonetics Research