Telecommunications Automation: Optimised Network Operation

Telecommunications enables the networked age. We rely on such advanced networks, from our mobile phones to the internet. We need such networks to be lean and seamless, and the solution is automation. Automation in telecommunications is revolutionising how the business can be leaner, more stable, and greener. In this article here, we demonstrate the growing supremacy of automation in telecommunications and how it’s changing the business.

What is telecommunications automation?

Telecommunications automation refers to the application of technology by itself to perform tasks that had been performed manually. It would be the vacuum cleaner of the house.

Examples are:

• Network monitoring: The network is continuously monitored for faults by software.
• Fault management: Faults are automatically detected and fixed by the system.
• Service provisioning: Services like the installation of a phone line are automatically provisioned.
• Network optimisation: The system will also optimise the network setup to allow it to function smoothly.

Advantages of Telecommunications Automation

Telecommunications customers and providers are greatly benefitted by automation in the following ways:

• Improvement in Efficiency: Automation procedures are cost- and time-saving since they automate the procedure. That implies less cost and quicker delivery of service.
• Higher Reliability: Computer systems lack the tendency to commit human errors, and the networks, therefore, are stable and reliable. Lost calls are thus minimal, and internet speeds are fast.
• Faster Response Time: If there is an error, then computer systems will be capable of detecting such an error and, in most cases, correcting it much faster than humans. That reduces downtime and keeps services at their desired target.
• Scalability: As networks expand, automation has the ability to handle expanding intricacy. It is most utilised in today’s rapidly evolving computerised age.

Instances of Automation

Regular instances of telecom automation include the following:

• Self-healing networks: They have the quality of auto-healing even before turning into end-users’ equipment.
• Automated call distribution: The calls are directed to the respective agent or department by the computers.
• Network slicing: It allows the operators to create virtual networks for an application so that they may gain optimum performance from a given set of users.

Telecommunications Challenges with Automation

Despite all the advantages of automation, there are challenges too that must be dealt with:

• Initial Investment: Automation installation may mean astronomical initial hardware and software costs.
• Challenge of Integration: Automation technologies are challenging to integrate with the existing infrastructure.
• Cyber Threats: Automation technology could be a target for cyberattacks and must have strong security measures.
• Job Displacement: Job displacement in certain sectors of the telecommunication industry due to automation, training, and upskill courses must be offered. Telecommunication careers in network planning and software development are established.
• Workforce Re-engineering: The telecommunication industry will need the appropriately trained personnel who will be able to operate and maintain this kind of computerised equipment. This will engage the industry in investing in training and education.

The Future of Telecommunications Automation

Telecom automation is the future. Greater complexities in the networks and growing demands of the data will be spearheaded by the automation of the networks. Automation of network management will have artificial intelligence and machine learning as its brain. They will make the networks learn and, consequently, adjust in changing situations and operate at their highest level of efficiency and reliability always.

It was the 1996 Telecommunications Act that assumed its form in the current telecommunications scenario, and automation has assumed the form of an unseen driving force behind it. With existing technologies advancing unabated to grow, newer telecommunication applications of automation will definitely usher in quicker, more efficient, and cheaper means of communication.

Automation is revolutionising the telecommunication sector, bringing in enhanced networks and quality of services to the end user. The downside, however, cannot be excluded from the upside of automation. Automation assisted telecommunication service providers in building lean, mean, strong, and scalable networks for our networked world.