In an era dominated by rapid technological advancements and increases in technology sophistication, telecommunications networks require advanced and robust management systems that keep pace with current demands but also anticipate and adapt to future needs. 

In this article by Jinsung Choi (the Chair of the O-RAN Alliance), “The Future of Network Management,” highlights the need for Autonomous Network Controllers (ANCs). He describes ANCs thus, “An Autonomous Network Controller is a sophisticated form of network management technology designed to automate the operation, management, and optimization of network resources.”

Revolution in Network Management: Artificial Intelligence and Self-Correcting Mechanisms in OSS/BSS

This concept represents a paradigm shift in network management, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to automate operations and enhance performance. However, they also represent many of the features expected of a sophisticated OSS/BSS stack today. Both would do so via the five self-correcting mechanisms that Choi discusses:

  1. Self-provisioning

  2. Self-optimising

  3. Self-healing

  4. Self-protecting and

  5. Self-learning

OSS/BSS solutions, like those provided by SunVizion, are well-positioned to support the concept of ANCs by complementing these five key functionalities:

 

Self-Provisioning (Capacity Management)

SunVizion enhances ANC capabilities through advanced provisioning / orchestration via its Service Order Management module. Alternatively, this feature can also invoke external provision solutions that allow networks to automatically configure and allocate resources / capacity based on real-time data and predefined policies. For instance, during peak usage times, OSS solutions can dynamically allocate additional bandwidth to maintain service quality, thus effectively managing network load without human oversight. This automation ensures optimal resource utilisation, reducing operational costs and improving user satisfaction.

 

Self-Optimising (Network Configuration)

The self-optimising features of OSS ensures that the network operates at peak efficiency. By continuously monitoring network conditions, like traffic flow and bandwidth usage, OSS can make real-time adjustments to network parameters. This includes re-routing traffic to less congested pathways or adjusting bandwidth / QoS / QoE on a per-user or per-traffic-category basis. This also allows for scaling current resources up or down based on prevailing demands. Such proactive adjustments prevent bottlenecks and maintain high performance across the network across the aggregate of all users. This awareness of resource availability (supply) versus customer expectations (demand) is crucial for service providers aiming to deliver consistent, high-quality experiences to their user-base.

 

Self-Healing

As we become ever more dependent upon communications services in our daily lives, network reliability is an increasingly paramount expectation by telco customers. OSS-driven self-healing technology empowers ANCs to detect and resolve network failures autonomously or semi-autonomously. Whether it's a failed node, a broken link, a cable cut, a power outage, a software anomaly or a combination of them, OSS tools need to initiate corrective actions such as rerouting traffic, restarting systems, or applying patches automatically. This not only minimises downtime but also reduces the burden on network operations centres, allowing them to focus on more strategic tasks.

 

Self-Protecting

In the face of increasing cyber threats, the self-protecting capabilities of telco networks provide a critical security layer. OSS/BSS are a potential strong ally of cyber protection solutions but are typically under-utilised by telcos today. OSS and BSS solutions are a rich source of activity data that could be better leveraged by security solutions to protect the network. Similarly, the auto-provisioning and auto-healing capabilities described above allow for adaptive behaviours to protect against any ongoing cyber-attacks. By integrating advanced security protocols, anomaly detection algorithms, user activity logging and even encryption of vital data assets, OSS are a powerful source of insight to enable ANCs to proactively monitor and respond to potential security breaches. This pre-emptive approach ensures that vulnerabilities are addressed before attackers can cause harm, safeguarding user data and maintaining trust.

 

Self-Learning

The self-learning capabilities of OSS/BSS like SunVizion can be both fundamental in understanding the current operational state of the network (self-awareness) as well as facilitating adaptation to the ever-changing network environment (self-actualisation). Through analysing the vast amounts of data collected, OSS can identify patterns and trends that inform current situations and future decisions. This continuous insight-generation process can facilitate the ANC to optimise its operations without needing explicit programming for every new scenario it faces. As a result, the network becomes smarter, more adaptable, and capable of handling more complex and sophisticated scenarios with greater accuracy.

 

Summary

SunVizion's OSS/BSS solutions provide the backbone necessary for ANC-like capabilities to excel in today’s dynamic network environments. By supporting autonomous operations through intelligent monitor and feedback features, SunVizion not only enhances network efficiency and reliability but also positions telecom operators to thrive in a future where networks are increasingly self-managing. As network demands continue to evolve, the integration of advanced OSS/BSS solutions like SunVizion will be critical in realising the full potential of autonomous network management. It will be interesting to observe whether ANCs become commonplace and how they then interact with current-day solutions like OSS, BSS, EMS and VIMs.