Defining the need for A3 in private networks

This report looks at the AI, automation and analytics a telco needs to effectively deploy, manage and operate private networks and slicing at scale for enterprise customers.

Understanding the private networks lifecycle

The main phases of the network lifecycle

A private network goes through different steps starting from early design stages and reaching to a fully operational point. Many of these steps require interaction between multiple stakeholders, customisation to the needs of the customers and cycles of decision making before proceeding to the next steps. Customers want quick solutions that accelerate these steps and help them achieve the desired results with minimum time, cost and effort. Similarly, private networks suppliers also want to streamline the private networks lifecycle to be able to meet the increasing demand from customers and successfully scale their deployments. The figure below shows the lifecycle of a private network and where A3 can be used in it.

Private network components and lifecycle

Source: STL Partners

Evaluation: Planning and design

The planning and design phase of private cellular networks is a crucial step that ensures the network meets the specific needs of an organisation. This phase encompasses multiple stages, each focused on understanding the requirements, selecting the right technology, and designing a network that provides optimal coverage, performance, and security.

The process begins with consulting and requirements gathering, involving a thorough needs assessment. This involves understanding the primary goals for implementing a private cellular network, such as improving communication, enhancing reliability or security, or meeting certain connectivity requirements for specific use cases. Identifying specific use cases, such as industrial automation, remote monitoring or secure communication, helps determine the network’s performance, reliability and coverage requirements.

Conducting an on-site survey helps understand the physical environment, including site layouts, rooms, outdoor spaces and areas requiring coverage, to identify potential obstructions and optimal locations for equipment placement. The physical site inspection also helps to identify power requirements and any environmental considerations. Specialised tools for radio frequency (RF) analysis are also used to identify existing signal strengths and potential interference sources.

Capacity planning is done to ensure the network can manage anticipated traffic without performance issues during peak times by estimating traffic loads and designing a scalable architecture for future growth. Coverage planning (or RF planning) then uses signal propagation modelling to align coverage maps with the physical environment and determine the optimal placement for antennas and base stations to maximise coverage and minimise weak signal areas, ensuring reliable user experience throughout the area.

The last stage within the pre-launch phase is network design. The network design process for private networks begins with detailing the core components, such as the Evolved Packet Core (EPC) for LTE or the 5G Core (5GC) for 5G, to meet the requirements specified in the earlier stages. This stage also involves meticulous planning of the backhaul network, selecting suitable technologies to ensure reliable connections between base stations and the core network.

Deployment/implementation

Once the design of the solution is established, the testing and validation phase commences, involving rigorous pilot tests to verify that the network meets the intended performance and coverage expectations. These tests are typically conducted under real-world conditions to simulate actual usage and identify any potential issues. Feedback from initial users is crucial during this stage, as it helps pinpoint areas for improvement and ensures the network can handle the anticipated load and use cases. Adjustments and optimisations are made based on this feedback to ensure the network is fully functional, efficient, and reliable before proceeding to full-scale deployment.

Deploying the private network involves the physical installation of equipment in designated locations across the site and network configuration to ensure optimal performance for critical applications. It also includes systems integration to ensure the private network is aligned with IT and operational technology (OT) systems to form an overall cohesive and secure infrastructure for seamless communications, data exchange (and subsequent informed decision making), and performance across the overall site operations.

Operation and maintenance

The final phase is the operations and lifecycle management of the private network and design improvements. This involves real-time monitoring, service and technical support, network expansion and optimisation services. This step is particularly critical to ensure reliable, robust operations, avoid incidents and meet stringent SLAs that providers have with certain types of customers (which is particularly common for deployments in more industrial or mission-critical environments).

The responsibility of operating the private network is not always borne by the network service provider. While some providers offer a fully managed service as part of their private networks solution, others upskill and equip the customers with the ability to operate their own private networks.

Current challenges with private networks

The need for customisation is a considerable challenge for scaling private networks deployments, whether that be for a single customer across multiple sites or for multiple customers with heterogenous needs. Each network is distinct and is tailored to meet a specific set of requirements. These requirements stem from various factors such as the unique constraints of the customer site, including its size, structure and location, the stringent requirement of different industries like safety regulations and minimum quality expectations, and the specific operational and business goals of the enterprise. This necessitates extensive customisation to address these needs effectively by bringing in vertical-specific and enterprise networking expertise. Additionally, every deployment needs dedicated teams and resources on the ground and remotely to manage, coordinate and fine-tune the deployment to achieve optimal performance and ensure seamless integration with existing systems. Many customers will also demand SLAs from their providers, particularly for mission-critical environments. These will require a much higher level of support.

Challenges with deploying private networks at scale

Source: STL Partners

The need for customisation will eventually slow the delivery of private networks and the ability for the market to meet its full potential. Each bespoke solution requires rigorous planning and testing, and iterative configuration to meet the unique customer demands. The anticipated prolonged deployment phase can also negatively impact the decision to adopt the technology for many customers. The high costs associated with private network deployments present yet another challenge. Tailoring solutions to address specific requirements and operational goals demands significant financial investment, from involving multiple stakeholders to procuring specialised equipment, and employing dedicated resources.

Table of Contents

• Executive Summary
  • How should private network technology and service providers prioritise A3 development?
• Understanding the private networks lifecycle
  • The main phases of the network lifecycle
  • Current challenges with private networks
  • Why A3 is critical for scaling the market
• How A3 can accelerate the adoption of private networks
  • Short term (next 12 to 24 months)
  • Medium term (next two to three years)
  • Longer term (in three years+ time)
  • Where we are now and how the market is evolving
• There are few interesting near-term solutions to keep an eye on
  • Network planning for private networks
  • Testing and validation for private networks
  • Network assurance for private networks
  • Automated SLA management
  • Orchestration and management of private networks
  • Orchestration, management and assurance of network slicing
• Conclusion
• Index

Related research

• Private networks manifesto
• Finding value from AI, analytics and automation (A3) in the telco network
• A3 in open RAN

Author

Ahmed Ali

Senior Analyst

Ahmed is Senior Analyst and a member of STL Partners research team. His areas of focus include edge computing, IoT and private networks within the Growing Enterprise and the Network Futures research services. Ahmed holds an MSc in Communications Electronics and Computer Engineering from the University of Nottingham.