Enhanced LTE Troubleshooting: It All Comes Down to the Right Tools
LTE technology is touted for its ability to offer increased download speeds to customers along with greater application support. For major wireless carriers, such as AT&T Mobility, who are planning to deploy elements of LTE Advanced network technology in order to increase the capacity of their network available to users, the LTE advantage lies in boosting efficient utilization of the spectrum. So, while increasing users’ peak speeds remains a top priority, meeting their LTE data demands is also an important consideration.
Despite the promised benefits and potential of LTE technology, this new standard of mobile broadband also brings new challenges. Of course, network operators need to juggle these new challenges while responding to customers’ increasing demands for greater reliability and service. Meeting these increased service-level expectations while reducing downtime and keeping operating expenses (OPEX) in check is among network operators’ biggest challenges. However, the task is far from easy: LTE outage costs are astronomical, and have a detrimental impact on customer loyalty and satisfaction.
To overcome these setbacks, network operators need access to new troubleshooting tools capable of providing complete network visibility for rapid resolution of issues. Such tools are also essential to reducing OPEX associated with troubleshooting and mean time to repair (MTTR). As a guideline, there are five key characteristics network operators need to keep in mind when selecting LTE live troubleshooting tools: portability, high-performance capture, processing and storage, in-depth and complete LTE technology coverage, and comprehensive end-to-end network analysis. The equipment also needs to be easy to setup and use for troubleshooting of network issues.
For detailed information about each of the five key characteristics integral to selecting LTE troubleshooting tools, including protocols and applications, read our LTE Live Troubleshooting Tools: 5 Essential Characteristics white paper on the subject.
