In the digitally-driven era where uninterrupted connectivity is not just appreciated but expected, Communication Service Providers (CSPs) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) face an ongoing challenge: to deliver seamless, high-quality WiFi experiences to their customers. This necessity has given rise to WiFi service assurance, a critical component in maintaining customer satisfaction and loyalty. For Customer Care Managers and Network Engineers, the objective is clear yet complex: to ensure optimal network performance and in-home WiFi experience without falling into the traps of proprietary solutions. This blog post explores the indispensable role of open standards in WiFi service assurance, shedding light on how they form the foundation for efficient, scalable, and flexible network management.
What is WiFi service assurance?
WiFi service assurance is an all-encompassing strategy aimed at overseeing and enhancing the performance of a WiFi network. It involves a set of practices and technologies dedicated to monitoring network health, diagnosing problems, and implementing solutions swiftly—often before the end user notices any issue. Beyond mere connectivity, it ensures the network delivers on key performance indicators such as bandwidth, latency, and reliability, especially crucial in the "last mile" of connectivity to the user's premises.
Available solutions
Currently, the market offers various solutions targeting different aspects of WiFi assurance. These range from agent-based platforms requiring proprietary hardware to more flexible, open-standard solutions. Although agent-based software appears to be state-of-the-art and convenient, there is a major drawback - it is a closed, proprietary ecosystem. The divergence in these approaches often leaves CSPs at a crossroads: opt for a closed, seemingly easy-to-implement system, or embrace the adaptability and future-proof nature of open standards?
The importance of open standards
Open standards, like TR-069 (CWMP), and TR-369 (USP), are pivotal for interoperability in the telecommunication industry. They offer a blueprint for compatibility, ensuring that different devices and systems can communicate and work together seamlessly, regardless of the manufacturer. This universality is crucial for CSPs aiming to build resilient, adaptable networks that can evolve with technological advancements and changing customer needs.
What makes our Customer Experience Management Platform special?
Our Customer Experience Management (CEM) Platform, designed to enhance the in-home WiFi experience and optimize access layer performance, is rooted in its commitment to these open standards. We believe they are the key to preventing vendor lock-in and providing long-term solutions for CSPs and ISPs. However, our product offers more unique features that set us apart. Here are some of our key differentiators:
Interoperability: Our platform’s commitment to established, market-standard protocols like TR-069/TR-369 paves the way for a truly open ecosystem. This ensures fairness and freedom of choice for CSPs, enabling them to mix and match devices and technologies as they see fit, without fear of vendor lock-in.
Architecture: Unlike solutions that depend on client-side KPI* calculations and proprietary hardware, our CEM Platform utilizes the power of server-side analytics. This approach supports an extensive range of CPEs, offering unmatched flexibility and a broader overview of network health.
* Some might argue that CPE-side calculations offer superior capabilities for live data processing, but in reality, 90% of high-priority KPIs may be efficiently calculated server-side. Of course, it depends on the given CPE vendor capabilities, but the solution works in best-effort-manner - everything supported, will be leveraged.
CPE hardware compatibility: Our platform’s vendor-agnostic nature extends to CPE hardware, supporting everything from the latest devices to existing legacy systems. This inclusivity guarantees that CSPs can leverage their current infrastructure to its fullest potential.
Comprehensive use cases: Where competing solutions may focus solely on in-home WiFi experience, our platform provides a holistic view. It encompasses both the access layer performance and the nuanced dynamics of in-home WiFi, offering insights across a spectrum of technologies including xDSL, FWA, and Fiber.
Extensibility and customization: In a landscape that demands constant adaptation, the ability to customize and extend the platform is invaluable. CSPs can introduce new dashboards, KPIs, workflows, and integrations, tailoring the solution to their evolving needs.
| Customer Experience Management Platform | CPE agent-based solutions | |
|---|---|---|
| Interoperability | Market standard, state-of-the-art protocol stack TR-069/TR-369, ensuring fair, open ecosystem for customers. | Based on OpenSync, the standard is open, but with security-certificate-based fleet lock-in. Alternative “ACS” may not be used without the cooperation of the vendor. |
| Architecture | Software platform Server-side KPI calculation (all CPEs supported) |
HW + software platform Client+server-side KPI calculation |
| CPE Hardware | “Open market” CPEs, including existing, legacy fleet. | Pre-integrated software agent installed on CPEs. |
| Use cases | WiFi/in-home experience Access Layer related (xDSL, FWA, Fiber performance) |
WiFi experience only |
| Extensibility/ Customization | Flexible environment that allows to introduce/customize in runtime additional dashboards, KPIs, workflows. | Preconfigured, closed solution. Relies on the pre-integration of provided components. |
| Deployment | Built on top of AVSystem ACS, either on-premises or as SaaS. | Software platform for managing pre-integrated devices. |
Service assurance - beyond WiFi
The trajectory of WiFi service assurance is moving towards greater integration, smarter analytics, and more proactive management strategies. This is an essential part of end-to-end broadband service assurance, as the in-home WiFi experience is one end of this process. Our solution fills the gap in the understanding of WiFi service assurance by providing access layer monitoring for early outage detection and prevention, as well as intervention support for customer care agents and managers.
Open standards are at the heart of the whole telco integration evolution, enabling the development of solutions that are not only technologically agnostic but also future-proof. As the complexity of networks grows and customer expectations shift, the flexibility and interoperability offered by open standards will become increasingly critical.
Embracing open standards for WiFi service assurance is a strategic decision with far-reaching benefits. It transcends technical advantages, aligning with broader customer satisfaction goals, operational efficiency, and market adaptability. Our Customer Experience Management Platform embodies this philosophy, offering a forward-looking solution that prepares CSPs for the challenges and opportunities of the digital future.
For those ready to lead in the era of next-generation connectivity, we extend an invitation to explore the capabilities of our platform. Contact us to schedule a demo and start the discussion on how our solution can redefine your approach to WiFi service assurance.