A New Modelling Approach Is Required to Help Mobile Network Operators Handle the Growing Demand for Data Traffic

Abstract

Last year, global mobile data traffic grew by 69%, and similar growth rates are expected in the coming years. This growth affects the quality of service, and mobile network operators are finding it increasingly difficult to manage mobile data traffic. To this end, they are drastically increasing the number of sites and antennae, as well as modernising existing networks. This requires selecting the best antenna locations in terms of service area coverage, spectrum availability, installation costs, demographics, etc. In addition, when extending the wireless network with new antennae, the radio-electrical parameter settings of new and neighbouring antennae require (re)calibration to minimise interference—a process that in principle may affect the entire network. Moreover, the antennae must connect to the core network and influence it. This complex optimisation planning problem does not lend itself well to a manual solution approach. Still, these plans are developed “manually”, with the support of IT tools, through a time-consuming and inefficient trial-and-error process. Applied optimisation is needed to tackle this problem effectively, but this requires advancing the state-of-the-art: Most papers focus on solving the different sub-problems independently. However, these affect each other heavily and they must be considered simultaneously to maximise the offered service: optimising the location and configuration of new antennae and the configuration of wireless network radio-electrical parameters, while taking into account access to the core network.