How GIS-based network inventory accelerates design of FTTx networks

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, huge numbers of people started working from home, streaming more content and socializing online. According to Nokia, the demand for bandwidth has increased by over 25% since early 2020. For Competitive Service Providers (CSPs) to provide high-bandwidth fiber-based connectivity to their customers, remain competitive and meet government objectives (like those set out by the FCC’s Rural Digital Opportunity Fund), network design and operational processes need to be honed and razor-sharp. GE Digital’s Smallworld Network Inventory GIS-based solutions can optimize these processes through automation and seamless field-to-office interactions.

Using FTTH design software with data from wholesale operators

In many countries, infrastructure sharing through regulated access is becoming increasingly common. Also, in these locations, it is more cost-effective for CSPs to use the infrastructure from other operators. For inventory solutions this presents two challenges: (i) for wholesale providers, how to share and manage their available capacity with other CSPs, and (ii) for consumers, how to use the data provided by the wholesaler effectively to ensure a cost-effective network build is realized.

Smallworld can help with both aspects. One of our large wholesale customers has provided a web-interface that allows vendors to see what infrastructure is available and to request duct. In turn, this space is reserved within the wholesaler’s Smallworld solution, allowing them to efficiently manage the duct space.

The other side of the coin is CSPs consuming this conduit space. In the UK, the model provided means that CSPs request a subset of data from the wholesaler and can then indicate which poles, ducts and sub-ducts they wish to use. To handle this effectively, the data provided by the wholesaler can be imported into Smallworld and consumed as part of the automated fiber design process, starting with a field inspection to validate the expected capacity. As the design progresses, the wholesaler is notified of the poles and ducts that have been used within the design.

This ensures the CSPs can use this third-party wholesale infrastructure in combination with their own duct infrastructure, leading to the lowest cost design with maximum infrastructure re-use.

Realize operational savings through FTTx network design optimization

Decisions made during the design of FTTx networks have a massive impact on the overall cost to construct the network. Inconsistencies and variation in design practices result in more expensive fiber deployments and inefficiencies in the field during construction.

In order to meet the FTTx deployment’s target, both in time and budget, it is vital that the design process is automated and generates standard, cost-optimized designs. The Smallworld Network Inventory solution provides an intelligent, automated design engine that can generate an architecturally compliant, least-cost optimized network in a fraction of the time taken to achieve the same result manually. This solution is rules-based, which allows CSPs to tailor it to meet their specific business and technology rules without requiring changes to the software itself.

Having the same set of rules across the organization ensures consistency and reduces variability when designing in-house and, more importantly, when the design process is outsourced to a third party. By using the Smallworld solution suite in both scenarios, CSPs can ensure data flows seamlessly into the network inventory to support downstream operational processes.

Despite the big improvements in computing power and AI, it is still impossible for an automated engine to get the final design right on its first iteration. To complement the engine, Smallworld brings enough flexibility to allow planners to enrich the input data or modify the design to take into account unique situations on the ground. For example, additional capabilities within Smallworld can help the designer by bringing the field to the desktop, such as having the ability to access Google Maps Satellite and Street View data directly in the application. However, in many countries Google is not available or does not provide the level of accuracy needed. For this reason, planners can choose to embed live feeds from solutions like OrbitGT and Cyclomedia that provide high-resolution 3D panoramic imagery to take accurate measurements for network design.

Ensure network designs consider the on-the-ground situation and avoid re-work

Despite having access to a wide variety of data in the desktop, sometimes there is simply no substitute for getting out into the field to complete a final design validation before pushing to approval and construction. The issue could be that there is a lack of data in a certain area, or maybe the inventory data has some quality issues that need to be addressed, either owned or third-party infrastructure. Whatever the case, being able to take the design out into the field and modify it to accurately reflect the reality on the ground results in far higher quality design, avoiding issues in construction at a later stage.

Using GE’s Mobile Enterprise solution, the designer can create a first automated initial design, refine it based on data available in the office, and then seamlessly take it to the field in tablet, mobile phone or laptop. Once in the field, the designer can review the proposed design and modify various aspects, locking in place cabinet locations, changing road crossings, etc., to reflect field realities that can impact a construction project’s costs and deadline. Once the field markups have been digitally submitted to the back office, planners can fine-tune the design and give the organization the confidence that they are moving forward with the lowest cost and most constructible design available.

Automating the final stages of FTTx network design

With the design now complete, the designer can set about creating the artifacts required for authorization and network construction. With Smallworld, the production of many of these documents is fully automated, again saving the designer valuable time. In more complex cases where the designer wishes to add additional information and content, a rich set of tools are available to annotate and embellish the outputs needed.

Once completed, the documentation can be handed off, which generally is an automated notification to a work management system managing the overall construction process.

How to handle business as usual changes in parallel to large scale FTTx deployments

The world doesn’t stop turning while a new network is being designed and constructed, so CSPs can expect business as usual (BAU) changes to be taking place in the same areas where the new network is being rolled out. This can create challenges for the network inventory to ensure that the BAU changes can be handled successfully without impacting the larger design and build projects.

Smallworld’s unique approach to managing changes to assets within their lifecycle ensures that this is covered. To do so, the lifecycle of the assets is closely managed in regard to the various stages of planning, design, construction and operations. This allows BAU changes to be made entirely independently of the larger roll-out designs, seamlessly integrating these changes into new and in-flight designs to ensure they reflect the latest reality on the ground. Smallworld’s solution imposes no constraints in terms of the order that jobs are created or processed, as the system provides the flexibility and robust tooling to allow change to be handled.

For both smaller BAU or large-scale network design projects, the GE solution delivers conflict avoidance, automated conflict resolution, and design data quality tools to assure the designs being created adhere to your organization’s defined standards.

Benefits of automated fiber network design

In order to achieve the FTTx roll-out targets, it is critical for CSPs to have an underlying GIS-based Network inventory capability. This capability provides the foundation to improve their design process by automating as much as possible, enriching the data available on the desktop, seamlessly interacting with field inputs, and allowing BAU to live alongside aggressive deployment programs.

Through automation and optimization of the design process, it is possible to unlock significant value to the organization:

• Designers will be able to decide the best approach for each design, combining in a single platform both owned and third-party infrastructure.

• Designers will be able to generate network plans faster, with up to 80% productivity gains, while focusing on added value tasks like bringing local area knowledge to these plans.

• Designs will be optimal, compliant and cost-efficient, saving as much as 10% in construction costs.

• Seamless field roundtrip for markups and updates will ensure that the connected network is recorded as built, which will help with the operation and running of the network.

GE Digital’s Smallworld Network Inventory GIS-based solutions can help Competitive Service Providers exceed the needs of their customers, stay competitive and meet government objectives, especially during times of change.