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Press release
20 October 2025
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Network Optimization in Telecom - Driving Efficiency in the Age of 5G

Learn how to drive efficiency and automation in 5G network operations, using the right tools for Network Optimization. Read the article here

Press release
20 October, 2025
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What is Network Optimization?

Network optimization activities seek to enhance your network’s performance by improving its efficiency and ensuring that it meets your KPI goals – such as speed, reliability, and QoS. This involves multiple activities, spread across different teams.

Network Optimization – a Definition for Telcos

In our domain, a systematic approach to network optimization is required which pays attention to each domain, while also seeking to minimize costs. At the same time, we have to pay attention to the overall goals. So, we must individually optimize the RAN / access, transport, core, IMS, and so on – but we must also work end-to-end, as the experience delivered to customers depends on all domains functioning in harmony.


Key Components of Network Optimization:

To achieve this, we need the right tools and for network optimization activities to succeed, we need to consider.

  • Network Assurance: Real-time, continuous monitoring and analysis of network performance to collect relevant data and statistics is essential. Assurance systems need to be able to detect and pinpoint issues, while enabling proactive resolution to prevent faults occurring.
  • Real-time visibility: Real-time is a given. We need to understand what’s happening – in the moment – so we can respond faster. At the same time, we also need to track events, so we can draw inferences from historic records and build a proactive footing.
  • Automation: Automation is now essential, as it can enable fault prevention and remedy, at reduced cost. By reducing the load on humans, people can be freed up to spend time on innovation and strategic tasks.
  • Performance Management: Performance management data gives us insights to define, track and manage KPIs, so we can continuously optimize network performance and service delivery.

As networks grow increasingly complex with the integration of multiple technologies (2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, and soon 6G), effective optimization becomes both more challenging and more essential. It’s not a one-time effort but an ongoing loop of monitoring, analysis, action, and validation.

Network Optimization for Telecom Operators

Success Factors for Telecom Network Optimization

Successful network optimization hinges on several critical elements:

  • Data availability: Do we have the real-time access to performance data from OSS, probes, and user devices that we need?
  • Automation: What have we automated, what can we automate and how do this help us to optimize performance?
  • Cross-domain insight: A holistic view that spans RAN, transport, and core networks.
  • Predictive analytics: All the data you accumulate provides a living record - a historical data to anticipate future issues and trends.
  • Vendor-agnostic tools: Solutions that work across multi-vendor, multi-technology environments.
Arming your teams with tools that enable the above is a key step towards network optimization.

 

Benefits of Network Optimization

  • Improved User Experience: Fewer dropped calls, better streaming experiences, faster speeds
  • Operational Efficiency: Faster time to repair, enhanced customer service, reduced site visits, more automation – and more focus on innovation
  • CapEx management: invest more effectively, where it’s needed and maximize return from existing investments
  • SLA Compliance: Monitor SLAs to manage delivery and to keep track of performance
    Faster Issue Resolution: Identify issues before they impact customers, and prevent service disruption
In highly competitive telecom markets, these advantages can make a tangible difference in subscriber retention and revenue growth.

A New Challenge for Network Optimization: 5G

The new capabilities brought by 5G SA bring potential rewards but also add to the network optimization task.

5G is fundamentally changing the network optimization game. With ultra-dense small cell deployments, network slicing, and a diverse mix of use cases (eMBB, URLLC, mMTC), 5G introduces unprecedented complexity.

A new challenge for network optimization: 5G

A New Challenge for Network Optimization: 5G

The new capabilities brought by 5G SA bring potential rewards but also add to the network optimization task.

5G is fundamentally changing the network optimization game. With ultra-dense small cell deployments, network slicing, and a diverse mix of use cases (eMBB, URLLC, mMTC), 5G introduces unprecedented complexity.

Network Slicing Optimization

With network slicing operators can create multiple virtual networks on the same physical infrastructure. Each slice is optimized for different performance characteristics and use cases – which means that teams must ensure that each delivers.

Dynamic Spectrum Sharing

5G networks typically coexist with other infrastructure, which means spectrum must be optimized effectively.

Massive MIMO and beamforming

Again, new techniques to optimize radio performance for these enhanced capabilities are required, particularly where SLAs are in place.

Edge Computing Integration

Edge processing is necessary to support demanding applications – which means changes to your network and how data is moved around. Network optimization tools must also extend to this new environment and adopt a new dynamic.

Increased Service Complexity

The 5G service portfolio goes far beyond traditional mobile data and voice products, embracing applications from different verticals – which have different KPIs and performance requirements. Traditional network optimization tools won’t be able to stretch to this more complex environment.

Would you like deeper insights into network optimization of 5G SA networks? Watch our on-demand webinar Opportunities and Challenges with 5G SA Monitoring:

Watch Webinar

From Reactive to Predictive Optimization with AI and ML Technologies

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) will transform how telecom networks are optimized:

  • Anomaly Detection: AI systems are essential for sifting through the vast streams of data that are extracted from your network systems. AI-enablement will be the only way to spot patterns, exceptions and issues that could be the result of threat vectors.
  • Root Cause Analysis: AI reduces the time to pinpoint the root cause of issues by correlated data from all domains.
  • Forecasting: ML models can forecast traffic patterns with increasing accuracy, allowing operators to proactively adjust network resources to meet anticipated demand.
  • Agentic AI: The inclusion of AI agents in workflows means that bottlenecks and ‘human in the middle’ challenges can be reduced, further boosting automation.

How Can You Measure Network Optimization?

Network engineers have a range of familiar KPIs that they track, covering both technical and business objectives. Analytics tools that support network optimization should be able to track all of these — whether it’s latency and jitter, or call drop rates — but it’s important to enable the creation of custom KPIs.

This will be particularly important when we consider that new services are enabled by your 5G investments. These may be specific to industries – which means the KPIs that matter to their users will differ from traditional mobile and network indicators. In turn, this means that mobile operators that host these services or operate them on behalf of their users, must not only track their traditional KPIs but also understand how these relate to new user needs and capabilities.

Technical KPIs in related to Network Optimization

Technical KPIs:

  • Throughput (DL/UL)
  • Call Drop Rate / Call
  • Setup Success Rate
  • Latency and Jitter
  • RRC Re-establishment Rate
  • Spectral Efficiency

Business KPIs

  • Customer Satisfaction measures, such as NPS and CES
  • Churn Rate
  • Service Uptime and SLA Compliance
  • OPEX Reduction
  • Revenue per User (ARPU)
Network Assurance dark blue image of a fictive interface

Business KPIs

  • Customer Satisfaction measures, such as NPS and CES
  • Churn Rate
  • Service Uptime and SLA Compliance
  • OPEX Reduction
  • Revenue per User (ARPU)

Conclusion

Network optimization is essential for enhancing the efficiency of telecoms’ operation – but it is not a static discipline, as it must evolve to embrace new levels of network technology and evolving customer and service demands.

Getting it right matters, as it’s a key contributor to competitive advantage. Effective network optimization strategies yield benefits in better customer experiences, better service performance – and enhanced operational efficiency, ultimately helping to reduce costs.

The integration of AI and ML technologies is transforming network optimization from a largely reactive, manual process to a proactive, automated function capable of maintaining optimal performance in real-time.

AI and ML provide new tools for operators to adopt that will enhance that efficiency, unlocking automation and enabling humans to do more to deliver innovation. The right solution to support network optimization initiatives is critical – particularly as we more towards widespread 5G SA deployments and the new opportunities this affords. Data remains fundamental to driving new levels of performance – so network optimization, ultimately, depends on the right data capture and processing solutions.

 

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