Network Automation – The Key to 5G Network Success

Network automation is the best way to improve operational efficiency, lower the total cost of ownership and reduce time to market for new services and products.

With the 5G network release, the call to automate mobile operators’ networks has been resounding and clear. But what exactly is network automation, what are its benefits, and where should you start with your automation plan?

What is Network Automation?

Network automation is planning, deploying, configuring, orchestrating, and assuring networks and services using the software. In modern, complex, and dynamic networks, network automation is a necessary tool for management and ensuring efficient and effective service delivery.

The goal behind network automation is to create autonomous networks that don’t require human intervention. Having an automated network will address the primary operational concerns that communication service providers face in the modern world. These are:

• Human error in operations and network management
• Poor service provisioning time and time-to-cash
• Prolonged resolution times for network and security issues

Automating your network can help address these issues by reducing human intervention, consequently, human error, reducing service provisioning time, and introducing a closed-loop network that caters to timely network and security issues resolutions.

The Benefits of Network Automation

Modern mobile networks are becoming heterogeneous and dynamic. They are constantly changing to accommodate customer expectations, and this comes with substantial levels of complexity. Although networks have increased flexibility without demanding impractical automation, automation still makes a crucial aspect of CSP operations at all levels.

One of the key benefits of network automation is reducing network operation and service management errors, especially those emanating from human error. By reducing human interactions, network operation and service management can be more efficient and more effective.

Automation benefits CSPs in three key areas. These are:

Service Creation

Automation can reduce the time and cost it takes to design, build and test new revenue-generating services. With automation, the time-to-market drastically reduces, and the process is more cost-effective.

Revenue Generation

Rapidly deploying, providing, and orchestrating services and network functionality across networks and delivering them to the end-users improves time-to-cash and revenue. Cutting the time-to-market and increasing cost efficiency also helps CSPs to realize better revenue generation.

Network Performance

Automation is vital in monitoring networks in real-time, locating, identifying, and resolving security and network issues to enhance customer satisfaction and the network’s overall performance.

How to Automate Your Network

For automation to achieve the goals you have as a CSP, it needs to be rolled out the right way. You have to follow several steps that will guarantee quick, effective, and efficient network automation uptake.

Design and testing

The design and testing phase is the most time-consuming, resource-intensive, and costliest of the processes of automating a network’s components and services. It’s also the most critical considering the operational impact it’s going to have on your services. It’s the foundation of the automation process. Although the initial cost might be high, you can roll out the subsequent services faster and at a lower price.

Deployment and Orchestration

Deployment using an NFVi is where most network automation begins. Alternative services like Virtual Network Functions and Cloud-Native Functions are easier to deploy. These can be deployed automatically and scaled according to changes in demand.

Symphonica allows you to integrate your BSS to any network access technology with a few clicks, and easily design custom automated provisioning workflows. No coding required.

Monitor and Assure

The last phase of network automation is monitoring the system to guarantee its reliability and efficiency. Most processes involved in this stage are customer satisfaction-centric. In this stage, network optimization and fault management are a priority in improving network efficiency. Closed-loop assurance is one of the best approaches to ensuring real-time response to outages and other network problems.