Blog post
RAN monitoring via the RRC network layer protocol
Unlocking new use cases and complementing core and network data
The Radio Resource Control or RRC network layer protocol is key to mobile connectivity and the customer experience enjoyed in the field. With new support for RRC interface monitoring, Elisa Polystar embraces a new data source to boost Customer Experience Management, while supporting new automation, planning and operational use cases.
RRC network layer protocol monitoring in the RAN – the vital link to the UE in the field
Of the many interfaces in the mobile network, perhaps the most critical are those deployed in the RAN. After all, a customer may not know (or care) if an interface is faulty deep in the mobile core, but they definitely know when they can’t obtain a signal. Indeed, signal strength is a highly visible – though not necessarily understood – metric. How many conversations have included the words “I’ve only got one bar of signal….”?
So, the RAN is essentially the frontline of the mobile network. As such, a lot rides on ensuring customer experience can be delivered in the field – and maintained to the desired standards. It’s probably where reputations are won and lost, particularly over time. A temporary blip may be forgotten; prolonged or repeated failures are a social media nightmare.
Monitoring RAN conditions, then, is an absolute imperative. But so too is the ability to correlate RAN information with other data sources, so that MNOs can both zoom into what’s happening in the RAN – and back out to see the whole picture. That’s why we’ve added support for RAN monitoring to our Customer Experience Assurance solution, extending our already comprehensive capabilities out into this key domain – where your customers actually live.
RRC monitoring for 4G and 5G experience management
Our RAN monitoring solution covers two key interfaces – LTE-Uu and 5G NR-Uu. In both cases, the RRC or Radio Resource Control protocol is used. This covers key functionality, like establishing (and releasing) a radio connection, mobility, and paging procedures, and has a major impact on battery life, because there are different states that can be occupied by the mobile device.
This unlocks a wide range of use cases, a few of which we’ll review in this blog. Let’s start with that “one bar” problem – or even, “you’re breaking up….!” If this happens repeatedly, it’s a given that the affected customer will call your customer service team (when they can reconnect to the network, obviously).
Enhanced support, MDT and much more – extending the data lake
With the RAN monitoring solution, the service agent can use the existing portals to drill into information regarding the specific sites visited by the customer and in which problems were encountered. They can review what’s happening now, what happened during a given period – and they can also drill down to what happened to the specific UE at the times when problems occurred.
They can be guided towards anomalies and appropriate diagnoses (with Root Cause Analysis including RAN conditions and RRC performance metrics), so that remedial action can be taken – perhaps either in the cell site configurations, or even in the user device, if it has been provided by the operator.
One onerous task that consumes many resources is the traditional drive test (DT). Reducing the number and scope of these (Minimization of Drive Test, or MDT) by automatically collecting data from user devices helps operators target their efforts more efficiently. With the right data, you can pinpoint where you really need to run real DTs, and when you can continue with MDT activities – enabled by the RRC data we now collect.
The monitoring can also provide a continuous stream of data to track and pre-empt emerging issues, before they negatively impact customers. And, when combined with data from other interfaces and network functions, it provides true end-to-end analysis of user sessions.
Network optimization and investment
But it’s not just troubleshooting or predictive assurance that benefit from RRC support. Long-term data presents the opportunity to optimize RAN parameters based on recorded activities and events, so that the network is tuned and adjusted appropriately. By the same token, it can also help refine investment decisions, so that the right levels of capacity are delivered and maintained.
Combining RAN data with all the other sources available gives users of Elisa Polystar’s solutions another perspective to take into account and allows them to validate decisions based on objective data – fully integrated into the overall data architecture. This also makes this new source of data available for other use cases – like future automation plans, for example, or analysis of mobility journeys and session management. So, it’s a vital contributor to ensuring delivery of the experience users demand.
But the extension to the RAN is just the start. Once camped in this field, we’ll be building out more RAN capabilities – for example, adding Geolocated data analysis — and is part of our commitment to providing a truly unique, data-enriched perspective of all network domains.
If you’d like to know more about our new RAN monitoring solutions, please get in touch!
