System and method for analyzing strategic network investments in wireless networks

• US 8,645,251 B2
• Filed: 04/03/2013
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/06/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cerion Optimization Services, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cerion Optimization Services, Inc.
• Inventors: Egner, Will A., Mallapu, Vinay, Yuan, Wei
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Eric T
• Assistant Examiner(s): BAIRD, EDWARD J
• Application Number:
  US13/856,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20130226673A1
• Time in Patent Office: 307 Days
• Field of Search: 705 35- 40, 705/7.12, 705/400
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0637 Strategic management or analysis, e.g. setting a goal or target of an organisation; Planning actions based on goals; Analysis or evaluation of effectiveness of goals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 16/18 Network planning tools
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/08 Testing, supervising or monitoring using real traffic

Abstract

A method and a system to assist wireless telecom service providers to make strategic investment decisions in their wireless networks is provided. Geographical profitability information in a wireless network is determined to decide where to invest capital funds in order to increase the revenue and profit for wireless service providers. The profitability of a geographical area or a sector is calculated based on network Operation Measurements and subscriber CDR (Call Detail Record) data. The system prioritizes the geographical areas and sectors for capital investments based on the profitability of the areas and sites. Similar information may be determined to assist wireless service providers in developing a decommissioning strategy. Embodiments of the present invention may also be used to reduce network churn by understanding where dissatisfied subscribers experience poor service and where network investments need to be made to improve the services and reduce churn.

Claims

1. A method of determining a decommissioning strategy in a wireless network, the method comprising:

determining, using a computer system, a revenue loss value for one or more base transceiver stations (BTSs) of a plurality of BTSs, the revenue loss value representing an amount of revenue that would be lost if that BTS were to be decommissioned;

determining, using the computer system, an operational cost for each BTS, the operational cost representing an expected cost of operating that BTS if that BTS were not decommissioned;

determining, using the computer system, a decommission return value for the one or more BTSs; and

determining, using the computer system, a first BTS to decommission in accordance with the decommission return value for the one or more BTSs.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the revenue loss value for the one of the BTSs is determined in accordance with, for each subscriber, a subscriber revenue per month, a ratio of subscriber minutes of use at the BTS, and a sum of subscriber minutes of use in all sectors.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the revenue loss value is performed in accordance with an equation:

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the operational cost is performed at least in part by summing a monthly equipment cost, a site monthly leasing cost, and a monthly transport leasing cost.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the determining the operational cost is performed at least in part by also summing a monthly electricity cost.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the decommissioning return value is performed at least in part by subtracting the revenue loss value from the operational cost.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the first BTS to decommission is performed at least in part by prioritizing the BTSs in order of the decommissioning return value.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein two or more of the plurality of BTSs have at least partially overlapping coverage areas.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising decommissioning the first BTS.

10. A computer program product for determining a decommissioning strategy in a wireless network, the computer program product having a non-transitory medium with a computer program embodied thereon, the computer program product comprising:

computer program code for determining a revenue loss value for a plurality of base transceiver stations (BTSs), the revenue loss value representing an amount of revenue that would be lost if that BTS were to be decommissioned;

computer program code for determining an operational cost for one or more of the BTSs, the operational cost representing an expected cost of operating that BTS if that BTS were not decommissioned;

computer program code for determining a decommissioning return value for each BTS; and

computer program code for determining a first BTS to decommission in accordance with the decommission return value for the one or more BTSs.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the revenue loss value for the one of the BTSs is determined by the computer program code in accordance with, for each subscriber, a subscriber revenue per month, a ratio of subscriber minutes of use at the BTS, and a sum of subscriber minutes of use in all sectors.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the computer program code for determining the revenue loss value includes computer program code for performing an equation:

13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the computer program code for determining the operational cost includes computer program code for summing a monthly equipment cost, a site monthly leasing cost, and a monthly transport leasing cost.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the determining the operational cost is performed at least in part by also summing a monthly electricity cost.

15. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the computer program code for determining the decommissioning return value includes computer program code for subtracting the revenue loss value from the operational cost.

16. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the computer program code for determining the first BTS to decommission includes computer program code for prioritizing the BTSs in order of the decommissioning return value.

17. A method of determining a decommissioning strategy in a wireless network, the method comprising:

determining, using a computer system, a revenue loss value for one or more base transceiver stations (BTSs) of a plurality of BTSs, the revenue loss value representing an amount of revenue that would be lost if that BTS were to be decommissioned, wherein the revenue loss value for the one of the BTSs is determined in accordance with, for each subscriber, a subscriber revenue per month, a ratio of subscriber minutes of use at the BTS, and a sum of subscriber minutes of use in all sectors;

determining, using the computer system, an operational cost for each BTS, the operational cost representing an expected cost of operating that BTS if that BTS were not decommissioned, wherein the determining the operational cost is performed at least in part by summing a monthly equipment cost, a site monthly leasing cost, and a monthly transport leasing cost;

determining, using the computer system, a decommission return value for the one or more BTSs, wherein the determining the decommissioning return value is performed at least in part by subtracting the revenue loss value from the operational cost; and

determining, using the computer system, a first BTS to decommission in accordance with the decommission return value for the one or more BTSs, wherein the determining the first BTS to decommission is performed at least in part by prioritizing the BTSs in order of the decommissioning return value.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the determining the revenue loss value is performed in accordance with an equation:

19. A computer program product for determining a decommissioning strategy in a wireless network, the computer program product having a non-transitory medium with a computer program embodied thereon, the computer program product comprising:

computer program code for determining a revenue loss value for a plurality of base transceiver stations (BTSs), the revenue loss value representing an amount of revenue that would be lost if that BTS were to be decommissioned, wherein the revenue loss value for the one of the BTSs is determined by the computer program code in accordance with, for each subscriber, a subscriber revenue per month, a ratio of subscriber minutes of use at the BTS, and a sum of subscriber minutes of use in all sectors;

computer program code for determining an operational cost for one or more of the BTSs, the operational cost representing an expected cost of operating that BTS if that BTS were not decommissioned, wherein the computer program code for determining the operational cost includes computer program code for summing a monthly equipment cost, a site monthly leasing cost, and a monthly transport leasing cost;

computer program code for determining a decommissioning return value for each BTS, wherein the computer program code for determining the decommissioning return value includes computer program code for subtracting the revenue loss value from the operational cost; and

computer program code for determining a first BTS to decommission in accordance with the decommission return value for the one or more BTSs, wherein the computer program code for determining the first BTS to decommission includes computer program code for prioritizing the BTSs in order of the decommissioning return value.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the computer program code for determining the revenue loss value includes computer program code for performing an equation: