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QoS
The network edge is also an important frontier for making sure that quality of service is supplied at exactly the level to which a particular customer is entitled. Again, a proper OSS/BSS suite with proper network monitoring tools with proper visibility of the edge can do the trick, for the most part. Traffic prioritization is part of the key to high levels of QoS, and high QoS is integral for churn reduction and increased ARPU. Therefore, keeping an eye on the edge can keep your cashflow positive.
However, even more can happen on the edge. With the right tools in place on the network edge, a provider can easily throttle service in accordance with usage guidelines. This can be done quickly and effectively, and can help put the kibosh on activity that violates terms of use or creates a strain on the network that isn’t in keeping with the agreement between provider and customer.
In short, a cop on the street can be worth ten back at headquarters. A QoS safeguard on the edge can help maintain top-shelf service for customers
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The network edge is a problematic area for CSPs due to the sheer volume of devices occupying space on the edge. |
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As the use of complex devices like femtocells increases, operators must far-too-often resort to costly customer service time or, even worse, expensive truck-rolls every time an end user mistakenly alters a device setting or improperly resets a device.
However, new techniques in parameter management are starting to emerge to the point where many of these issues can be watched over from a central network ops center, and forays into customer homes are kept to a cost-saving minimum.
The Edge to Come
The increased challenges of the edge are far from being completely solved. In fact, for all of the discussion I hear from individuals heavily involved with network operations about the edge, the entire topic is given disgracefully little coverage in the wider communications space.
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who’ve paid for the privilege to receive such service, and ensure that those who are less keen on paying their fair share are not given undue access to the network.
Devices
Furthermore, the network edge is a particularly problematic area for modern CSPs due to the sheer volume of devices occupying space on the edge. However, it isn’t just the number that’s an issue. The configuration of each of these devices is often handled in a completely off-site manner.
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It’s essential that the network edge be given its proper level of consideration and care, as it’s not becoming any simpler. As network devices increase in number and complexity, and users demand more and more varied uses from their devices, the decentralization of network control will only further complicate issues. How we approach the network edge will tell us a great deal about how prepared we are, in the communications space, to approach the future.
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