The majority of mobile operators worldwide are deploying 3G and even 4G networks and services. While sufficient infrastructure is available in western countries, operators in developing countries have been taken off guard with the huge success of HSPA and are often faced with seemingly insurmountable situations and challenges. In many instances, the marketing department decides to launch new services and the network department is given less than a month to overcome horrible capacity bottlenecks. Solutions that involve revamping the network are usually very CAPEX intensive and are certainly not achievable within the time constraints. And, limited human resources added to a lack of equipment further complicate the issue. What to do?
A simple assessment on the capacity utilised by the 2G voice service can be very helpful. Are these voice services optimized through compression, and if so, at what rate? Can the services benefit from the latest developments in 16:1 DCME compression technologies? That would be an immediate and elegant way to make more room for 3G, get the associated revenues and avoid churn from customers upset with the lowered quality of the service.
This is definitely a tactical approach. But how would this initiative rate on the longer term vs. a media gateway solution which provides VOIP? Remember that even between media gateways voice traffic is only compressed at a 4:1 ratio, and transitioning to a 3G network means a several fold increase in the bandwidth required to carry the same amount of voice traffic.
The articles in this newsletter will shed some light on the realities and benefits of using a DCME compression strategy to gain bandwidth quickly and keep customers happy.
Contact the Author at
semir.hassanaly@memotec.com
