Evolving SON Beyond
Network Efficiency

Dynamically Managing Access and Backhaul Capacity and Performance towards an Enhanced User Experience

Hosted by:






When

April 13-15, 2015

Where

Hilton Washington
Dulles Airport

Herndon, VA USA

MORE HOTEL INFO >>

Register

Limited to 100 seats

First Registered, First Served!

Attendance open to all IWPC Members


Introduction

The Self-Organizing Network (SON) market is projected to reach close to $6.5 Billion by 2020 and with around 35% of the global SON revenue market, North America offers a considerable opportunity, growing at a CAGR of 9.31% from 2014 to 2020. Network evolution continues through 3G and 4G to LTE-Advanced and in future 5G, so carriers need as much help as they can get to speed up the planning, configuration, optimization and healing of wireless networks. Since its introduction into 3GPP Release 8 in 2008, some carriers still question real benefits of SON, so during this workshop we will explore how SON can deliver an enhanced user experience.

Workshop Goals

  • Consider the potential for D-SON, C-SON and Hybrid-SON, beyond basic network efficiency
  • Explore SONs capabilities, limitations, constraints, and challenges
  • Can SON deliver:
    • Improvement in the operation and maintenance efficiency and effectiveness?
    • Energy savings, CAPEX and OPEX savings and a reduction of manual resource effort?
    • Enhanced user experience without adding unnecessary complexity?
  • How will Virtualization and SDN impact SON evolution?

Agenda

DAY 1
April 13

Monday

7:00 PM

Evening Reception

Hotel

DAY 2
April 14

Tuesday

8:00 AM

Breakfast and Registration

Hotel

Tuesday

9:00 AM

Opening Remarks and Self-Introductions

Each person will be asked to introduce him/herself and show how they can contribute to this process.

9:30 AM

Host Keynote Opening Remarks and Presentation

  • How can SON drive efficiency and prove instrumental for optimal network performance?
  • Can complexities around data fill and neighbor managements be reduced during new site and new carrier activation?
  • How can engineering tasks including day to day optimization, fault identification and troubleshooting/resolutions be automated?
  • Can small cells be integrated in the mix of Macro sites - what can be done to ease planning parameters automation to fasten the deployment?
  • How is SON helping operators in managing interference mitigation strategies in the network?
  • Will SON offer a significant contribution to reduce labor intensive activities and cost of adjusting tilts and site attribute related updates?

Evolving SON

VP, Network Development

 

10:30 AM

Networking Break

 

11:10 AM

 

OEM/Vendor Perspectives and Technology Enablers:

 

SON - Beyond the Hype Challenges and Opportunities

Director, Mobile Broadband Solutions

 

 

Cost Effective Deployment of Enterprise Small Cells

Director, Advanced Performance @ Wireless

CTO

 

 

12:30 PM

Networking Lunch

 

1:30 PM

 

OEM/Vendor Perspectives and Technology Enablers:

  • SON impacts/capabilities:
    • Scalability - how many nodes are possible and practical to manage per SON instance - hundreds, thousands, millions?
    • What are the impacts when adding new nodes to existing ones:
      • How much time does it take to re-organize the network?
      • How is capacity being rebalanced/reallocated/redistributed?
      • What is the impact to the existing on-air network nodes?
    • Considering RAN and backhaul (wireless or otherwise) SON
    • SON applications for WiFi load balancing
    • SON applications for spectrum harvesting and rebanding
  • Can SON move towards a completely autonomous network?
    • Are vendors ready or planning to be ready for full autonomy? Vendor capability - sophistication of tools (can systems tell you when it's broken!)
    • How will full autonomy impact inter-vendor relations? How do we mitigate finger pointing?
    • Are operators willing to go completely autonomous
    • What benefits and pitfalls have been seen in the various stages of autonomy; is there an optimal threshold?
  • Considering non standards-based tools – What works – doesn’t work?
    • Load-balancing algorithms: what should/can be taken into account?
      • Complexity of operations across multiple vendors, technologies, bands, etc.
  • SON coordination
    • Real-time coordination of Multiple SON instances (conflict resolution)
    • dSON vs. cSON: which features should go where and how do carriers decide? (decision points)

Taking an End to End View of SON

PE/MCTO

cisco

 

 

 

Practical Medium - Large Enterprise Deployment & Case Studies

Director, Business Development

 

 

Ensuring Centralized SON (cSON) and Distributed (dSON) Interworking

Senior Staff Engineer

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3:30 PM

Networking Break

4:10 PM

  • How do carriers reduce time consuming manual configuration, test cycles and reconfiguration for enterprise small cell deployments?
  • How is interference management and mobility between the macro network and small cells ensured?
  • Simplifying small cell deployment challenges through technician led site roll-out and configuration
  • Mobility feature implementation at the macro network
  • Distributed SON solutions to enable new small cell frameworks

Multi-Vendor from a SON Perspective

Product Management

 

4:50 PM

Panel Session

Host, Carriers and OEMs

5:30 PM

Adjourn

 

6:30 PM

Networking Dinner (LightFoot Restaurant)

Bus transportation provided.

DAY 3
April 15

Wednesday

8:00 AM

Breakfast

Hotel

9:00 AM

 

 

OEM/Vendor Perspectives and Technology Enablers (continued)

  • SON impacts/capabilities:
    • Scalability - how many nodes are possible and practical to manage per SON instance - hundreds, thousands, millions?
    • What are the impacts when adding new nodes to existing ones:
      • How much time does it take to re-organize the network?
      • How is capacity being rebalanced/reallocated/redistributed?
      • What is the impact to the existing on-air network nodes?
    • Considering RAN and backhaul (wireless or otherwise) SON
    • SON applications for WiFi load balancing
    • SON applications for spectrum harvesting and rebanding
  • Can SON move towards a completely autonomous network?
    • Are vendors ready or planning to be ready for full autonomy? Vendor capability - sophistication of tools (can systems tell you when it's broken!)
    • How will full autonomy impact inter-vendor relations? How do we mitigate finger pointing?
    • Are operators willing to go completely autonomous
    • What benefits and pitfalls have been seen in the various stages of autonomy; is there an optimal threshold?

Benefits of Electrical Downtilt in HetNets and Implications for SON

Manager, Site Solutions

 

Managing Licensed and Unlicensed Access Integration

Technical Marketing Engineer

 

Dynamic Management of Access and Backhaul Capacity

VP and CTO Agility Division

 

10:00 AM

Networking Break

 

10:40 AM

OEM/Vendor Perspectives and Technology Enablers (continued)

  • Considering non standards-based tools – What works – doesn’t work?
    • Load-balancing algorithms: what should/can be taken into account?
      • Complexity of operations across multiple vendors, technologies, bands, etc.
  • SON coordination
    • Real-time coordination of Multiple SON instances (conflict resolution)
    • dSON vs. cSON: which features should go where and how do carriers decide? (decision points)
  • What are the key challenges that hinder SON’s evolution beyond network efficiency?
  • Proactive Self-Healing: A case study on BSON.
  • Is SON an adequate enabler for 5G?
  • How can SON evolve into Big Data empowered SON (BSON) for enabling 5G

 

Real-world Deployments of Centralized SON (c-SON)

Technology Director

Client Executive

IBM

 

 

 

SON and Self-Healing in Unified 2G/4G RAN

Founder

 

12:30 PM

Networking Lunch

 

1:30 PM

Technology Enablers (continued)

Remote Fault Identification & Troubleshooting

Wireless Systems Engineering

ALTERA

 

 

Resource Optimization Based on Predictive Behavior and Real Time Data

CEO/CTO

 

 

 

How to Empower SON with Big Data

Assistant Professor,

Telecommunications Engineering

3:00 PM

Networking Break

 

3:40 PM

Closing Panel

cisco

4:30 PM

Adjourn

 

6:30 PM

 

 

Dinner (Dutch*)
* = in this context, Dutch is a term which means that each person will be responsible for their own dinner costs.

For those who desire to join us, we get together to enjoy good friends, good food, good wine, and (really) bad jokes.

FAQs

  1. What is the deadline for presentation/handout materials?
  2. What can I do to prepare for speaking an at IWPC workshop?
  3. Who are the attendees?
  4. What are the costs/registrations fees?
  5. Hotel information?
  6. What are the travel options from the airport to the hotel?
  7. Are there any audiovisual requirements?
  8. Will business cards be collected?
  9. What is the dress code?
  10. How will handout materials be provided?
  1. What is the deadline for presentation/handout materials?

    Deadline for electronic version of presentation/handout materials: Thursday, April 2, 2015.

  2. What can I do to prepare for speaking an at IWPC workshop?

    Click on the link below for a short video guide regarding preparing for and improving your IWPC presentation:

    Video: IWPC Speaker Guidelines

  3. Who are the attendees?
    • We do not permit the Press.
    • We do not permit Analysts.
    • We do not permit Consultants.
    • We do not permit 3rd party sales reps.
    • We only permit "first hand knowledge experts" in business and technology issues, prepared to contribute to the discussion.
  4. What are the costs/registrations fees?

    ALL Hosts, Speakers, Panel Members and Attendees will be asked to cover out-of-pocket workshop costs such as conference room costs, food (Social Reception plus First Day breakfast/lunch/dinner plus Second Day breakfast/lunch plus Breaks), audio/visual costs, etc.

    These costs will be $ 945 USD per person. (For IWPC Members only.)

    ALL Hosts, Speakers, Panel Members and Attendees will be asked to pay this fee in advance with either Visa, MasterCard, American Express, cash, personal check or business check. Make checks payable to IWPC.

  5. Hotel information?

    Hilton Washington Dulles Airport
    13869 Park Center Road
    Herndon, VA 20171
    Phone: +1 703-478-2900
    Hotel Website

    The IWPC room block rate is $155.00. Click here to register online.

    The cut-off date for reservations is March 30, 2015. After that date, rooms cannot be guaranteed at the IWPC rate.

  6. What are the travel options from the airport to the hotel?

    Directions and transportation options will be posted as soon as possible.

  7. Are there any audiovisual requirements?

    A Computer Projector will be available for the speakers.

    In addition, we audiotape all presentations and the interactive discussions. Post workshop, presentations are made available to IWPC Members on the IWPC WEB site, along with “recordings” of all presentations and panel sessions.

  8. Will business cards be collected?

    Business cards will be collected at the door from all attendees. We will make copies of these cards, which will be available to all who provided a business card.

  9. What is the dress code?

    Business casual suggested. No ties, please!

  10. How will handout materials be provided?

    For ALL IWPC members:

    All IWPC members are invited to submit materials to be included in the online workshop folder in the IWPC Research Library. This should NOT BE SALES MATERIALS. Rather, we suggest it contain technical information about your technology as it relates to the workshop topics.

    For all companies who will be making a presentation at the Workshop:

    You are invited to submit an advance copy of your presentation, complete with graphics and illustrations.

    These materials will be included on the IWPC website Research Library.

    Please submit these materials either by email, as a Word for Windows file, Power Point files or PDF files.

    Please use this FREE FTP site to send electronic materials (any size file):

    IWPC FTP Transfer