New technologies and growing demand for mobile data has operators scrambling to upgrade their networks in preparation for LTE and 4G services.  Mobile operators around the world are planning to invest billions in spectrum and network infrastructure, even though most have yet to deliver a sufficient return on their investment in 3G networks. So before operators invest even more, they first need to understand where they stand today, what they can do to optimize their current resources, and how changes to their network will impact tomorrow.

The problem is that for most operators, this is easier said than done.  With each network department managing and tracking inventory and assets separately – mostly through error-prone manual processes and spreadsheets – and with changes and upgrades to both physical and logical inventory happening so rapidly, it’s no wonder that most operators don’t even have a thorough understanding of what they currently have available.  Without an accurate and detailed end-to-end view, valuable network inventory and assets are often left stranded, underutilized, or misconfigured.

Before making new capital investments, operators need to be able to accurately assess their current situation, and have a better understanding of what, where, and when new network investments are required, and which can assets can be further optimized to help delay these investments.  The challenge is that before an accurate view of the network can be achieved- everything has changed. How can operators optimize a network that is constantly shifting and changing?

Mobinets has spent the past seven years working to solve this very problem, and we’ve been able to create a solution that reaches across radio access, core and backhaul networks to provide an accurate network ‘playbook’ that automatically adjusts to changes and requirements; automatically optimizing existing resources, identifying current and future capacity and congestion threats, and potentially saving millions in capital and operating expenses.

Multiple technologies, skyrocketing demand and increasing complexity all add up to a dangerous mix.  We know that operators are scrambling to keep up with today’s accelerated pace of change, but we also know that mistakes can be costly. Not just in terms of capital investments, but also time, resources, service quality, and market share.  It’s time for operators to put the tools in place to help them ‘know before they grow’ – leading to smarter investments, smarter networks, and better quality of service.