As an enterprise decision maker, creating and evolving a distinct data and telecommunications strategy is a key challenge and one that cannot be taken lightly. The pace of technological change can be mind-numbing. All signs point to more devices, more connectivity, more bandwidth, more services and applications, and many ways to implement and manage it all.
The intense competition amongst vendors and service providers is only going to increase. And you are already being bombarded with choices.
- For all practical purposes, it is no longer possible (nor desirable) to distinguish between voice, data, and video at the user level – and frankly, it’s all being carried by the same media (increasingly wireless) and managed by the same physical infrastructure of devices. Users expect to do everything on every device they use, and they expect to be able to connect even more devices to access a constantly-increasing set of services.
- Particularly in developing countries in Africa and Asia, older 2G and 3G mobile networks need to be upgraded, and, in some cases, flexible and inexpensive wireless telecommunications systems, for example, OpenBTS architectures, are needed.
- In mature economies, it is essential that existing wireless telecommunications and traditional IT (think Ethernet LANs) talk to the evolving core networks, and that all the associated services and applications be routinely evaluated and fine-tuned. Downward pressure on costs and upward pressure on speed and usability never sleeps.
- You must evolve your network. The continued decline of traditional wireline operators AND the conversion from older 2G and 3G systems either to 4G or jumping right to 5G, and innovative new technologies ranging from virtualization and the cloud, to wearable technologies and the Internet of Things (IoT), drive this evolution. But how to evolve?
When you think of “wireless telecommunications”, you would not be faulted for thinking mobile telephones, base stations, cell towers, and the like. Yes, these things are definitely in the mix, but they are not the whole story.
When Sur Solutions think wireless telecommunications, we think of everything across the…well, literally across the wireless spectrum. From wireless cellular communications to basic 2-way radio and pagers, to GPS and GIS applications, to emergency or fleet dispatch, work order maintenance, tracking and video, and finally to the most sophisticated 4G LTE and bleeding-edge 5G smartphone or tablet solutions, we have it covered. We live it and know it.
- Telecommunications Systems, Voice and Data Communications Networks
Few systems are as complex as those that carry voice, video, and data – and one could argue that all communications systems these days carry voice, video, and data. Even though we are known for our deep and broad experience with wireless telecommunications, we are systems experts from end-to-end. We know digital transmission. We know network infrastructure. We know the standards, protocols, and bleeding-edge technologies, including:
2G (GSM)
2.5G (GSM+GPRS)
3G UMTS
3G CDMA 1xRTT
3G CDMA 1xEvDO (Release 0, Rev. A and Rev. E)
4G WiMAX (high-speed data) – 802.16e and 802.16m as defined by IEEE
4G LTE – FDD/TDD, Release 8, 9 and 10 as defined by 3GPP standards
VoIP/IMS
5G (the communications highway for IoT) - Off the Grid – Open BTS
Imagine what you would need to know to set up and run your own wireless telecommunications network. From scratch. For much of the under developed and developing world, an off-the-grid, software-based communications system that can be inexpensively deployed in remote areas is the only practical choice. OpenBTS makes this not only possible, but nearly routine, particularly in the hands of our experts at Sur Solutions. For a fraction of the cost of running major provider infrastructure, OpenBTS technology replaces traditional base stations and core networks with technologies that allow handsets to behave as Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) endpoints in an IP-based core. The result is a significant cost savings in deploying a wireless network. OpenBTS architecture includes a soft-switch, integrated HLR/AAA functionality, and base station subsystem components (including Base Transceiver Station and Base Station Controllers) to provide you a true network-in-a-box architecture. - Radio Frequency and Fiber Optics
At the base of every communications system is the physical media. In wireless telecommunications, assuming transmitters can transmit, it’s all about how the information is encoded on the waves. Whether you are talking about handset or cell tower frequencies, or microwave and fiber backhauls, we fully understand the details of how your information is carried. Our expertise resides with understanding the most intricate of network setups and layouts, including the backhaul and communication methods utilized. - The spectrum is broad – in more ways than one.
As we said before, wireless telecommunications is broad and diverse. But if it is wireless, we know what to do with it. We specialize in enhanced building coverage, distributed antenna systems, bi-directional amplifiers, and new technologies like Zigbee and Z-wave. These low distance, low bandwidth wireless communications technologies are very suited to alarm, light, or motion sensors within smart homes and home area networks (HANs), and the sensors and communications on factory floors, oil rigs (pressure sensors), green energy, machine to machine communications – all of this uses some master communicator or central server and requires careful use of the appropriate radio frequencies. Our years of expertise cuts right through these technologies to deliver a network that is best suited to your needs, and exceeds your expectations.
We immediately began a root-cause analysis – focused, but open to the obvious as well as the undercurrents of cause and effect. Several techniques were employed including interviews with key personnel, and an in-depth policy and contract review. We gathered information across organizational and company boundaries. We provided reports and again elicited as much feedback as possible. Customer-centric, taking everything into account.
A part of the analysis that cannot be understated is the analysis surrounding the wireless telecommunications performance and infrastructure. Very often it is necessary to perform system baselines, monitor performance, and even conduct a deep-packet analysis to ensure that the telecommunications part of your program is managed appropriately.
Recently, Sur Solutions was asked by a client to provide the guidance and knowledge to setup a private voice-and-data cellular network to serve approximately 10,000 subscribers. This client wanted (nay, needed) a system requiring minimum operational knowledge and high reliability.
To ensure that our client’s needs were met beyond their expectations, Sur Solutions conducted a number of information-gathering sessions. In addition, we helped our client understand the relevant technologies and costs so that they were better able to make good decisions about the ultimate solution. Once the winning solution was understood, we played an instrumental role in system deployment and troubleshooting, and training for maintenance and operation post-install.
Because we know wireless inside and out, we were able to present our client with multiple options and to, at the end of the day, design a technical solution that fit them like a glove. As we helped install, test, and bring the network up for our clients, our experts ensured that our client understood how to maintain and troubleshoot the network. Another satisfied customer.
Wisely looking to the future, a client came to us wishing to gradually evolve their telecommunications network, going from 2G wireless technologies to 3G or 4G. Fortunately, network evolution strategy is something at which we excel.
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e helped the customer with assessment and benchmarking, hardware assessments, and even deep packet and traffic analysis, helping them understand their present mode of operation. Our years of experience allowed us to quickly present our client the optimum upgrade path forward that accounted for cost, schedule, and user needs. Our analytics helped the client understand the need to evolve not their wireless network, but also the backhaul equipment and proper SLA agreements with service providers.
Proactive planning and expertise allowed our client to understand where they were with regard to their competitors, and to ultimately ensure their success with the precise implementation of the network upgrade suited exactly to their needs.