System and method for cell site performance management

• US 9,883,049 B1
• Filed: 03/26/2014
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: T-Mobile Innovations LLC (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Warner, Kevin D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah, Charles
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhang, Edward
• Application Number:
  US14/226,804
• Time in Patent Office: 1,406 Days
• Field of Search: 705 2664, 705400, 705348, 705 30, 705347, 705306, 705 729, 705 738, 705 731
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/34 Charging, billing or metering arrangements for private branch exchanges
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/44 Augmented, consolidated or itemized billing statement or bill presentation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/58 based on statistics of usage or network monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8038 Roaming or handoff
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A server. The server comprises a processor, a memory, and an application that reads revenue data and usage data, wherein the usage data comprises cell site usage of each of a plurality of subscribers, and wherein the revenue data corresponds to each of the subscribers, analyzes the usage data for each subscriber to determine a set of cell sites used by the subscriber, associates a portion of the revenue data for each subscriber to the set of cell sites used by that subscriber, reads expense data for each of the plurality of cell sites, reads capital cost data for each of the plurality of cell sites, and determines a profitability metric value for each of the plurality of cell sites based on the portion of revenue data of each subscriber associated to the cell site, based on the site-specific expense data, and based on the site-specific capital cost data.

Claims

1. A server for managing cell site performance, comprising:

a processor;

a non-transitory memory; and

an application stored in the non-transitory memory, that when executed by the processor,

reads revenue data and usage data from call detail records in a data store, wherein the usage data comprises data about cell site usage of each of a plurality of wireless communication service subscribers, and wherein the revenue data comprises data about revenue obtained by a wireless communication service provider from each of the wireless communication service subscribers associated with at least one mobile device,

analyzes the usage data for each mobile device associated with a subscriber to determine a set of cell sites used by each mobile device associated with the subscriber, wherein the set of used cell sites is identified from among a plurality of cell sites operated by the wireless communication service provider,

based on the analysis of usage data and the determination of the set of cell sites used by each mobile device, determines that a mobile device uses cell sites in a different location from cell sites corresponding to a number plan area code and a central office code for the mobile device,

associates a portion of the revenue data for each mobile device to the set of cell sites used by that mobile device irrespective of the number plan area code and the central office code associated with the mobile device,

reads expense data for each of the plurality of cell sites from a data store, wherein the expense data represents the expense of operating the cell site,

reads capital cost data for each of the plurality of cell sites from a data store, wherein the capital cost data represents the capital cost associated with the cell site,

generates an income statement and partial balance sheet for each of the plurality of cell sites based on the expense data and the capital cost data,

determines a profitability metric value for each of the plurality of cell cites based on the income statement and the partial balance sheet for each of the plurality of cell sites,

stores the profitability metric value for each cell site in a data store comprising cell site information, wherein the data store comprising cell site information is accessible to users associated with a plurality of workstations,

compares the profitability metric value of a selected cell site to the profitability metric value of a selection of other cell sites, and

based on the comparison, provides a recommendation to one of perform a technology upgrade on the selected cell site, perform an adjustment procedure on the selected cell site, or build a new cell site proximate to the selected cell site.

2. The server of claim 1, wherein the portion of the revenue data for each subscriber associated to the set of cell sites is based in part on a yield generated by each subscriber, wherein yield is defined as the dollar amount of revenue divided by the megabytes (MB) of usage.

3. The server of claim 1, wherein the expense data comprises expenses associated with at least three of operation, backhaul infrastructure, utilities, access, service, roaming, sales, and marketing of the cell site.

4. The server of claim 1, wherein the capital cost comprises at least one of spectrum, property, plant, and equipment costs of the cell site.

5. The server of claim 1, wherein the data store comprising revenue data and usage data is accessible through a business information server.

6. The server of claim 1, wherein revenue data, usage data, expense data, and capital cost data is updated after each billing cycle, wherein the billing cycle is a predefined period of time determined by the wireless communication service provider.

7. The server of claim 1, wherein the profitability metric value is a return on invested capital (ROIC) value that is defined as the value of net operating profit after taxes divided by the value of net invested capital.

8. A method of assessing metrics associated with cell sites to manage cell site performance, comprising:

reading, by a server communicatively coupled to a network, revenue data and usage data from call detail records in a data store, wherein the usage data comprises data about cell site usage of each of a plurality of wireless communication service subscribers, and wherein the revenue data comprises data about revenue obtained by a wireless communication service provider from each of the wireless communication service subscribers;

analyzing, by the server, the usage data for each mobile device associated with a subscriber to determine a set of cell sites used by each mobile device associated with the subscriber, wherein the set of used cell sites is identified from among a plurality of cell sites operated by the wireless communication service provider;

based on the analysis of usage data and the determination of the set of cell sites used by each mobile device, determining, by the server, that a mobile device uses cell sites in a different location from cell sites corresponding to a number plan area code and a central office code for the mobile device;

associating, by the server, a portion of the revenue data for each mobile device to the set of cell sites used by that mobile device irrespective of the number plan area code and the central office code associated with the mobile device;

reading, by the server, expense data for each of the plurality of cell sites from a data store, wherein the expense data comprises the expense of operating the cell site;

reading, by the server, capital cost data for each of the plurality of cell sites from a data store, wherein the capital cost data represents the capital cost associated with the cell site;

determining, by the server, a return on invested capital (ROIC) value for each of the plurality of cell sites based on the portion of revenue data of each subscriber associated to the cell site, based on the expense data associated to the cell site, and based on the capital cost data associated to the cell site;

storing, by the server, the return on invested capital (ROIC) value for each cell site in a data store comprising cell site information, wherein the data store comprising cell site information is accessible to users associated with a plurality of workstations;

accessing, by the server, the data store comprising cell site information to retrieve the ROIC value for each of the plurality of cell sites;

identifying, by the server, cell sites with ROIC values above a predefined threshold, wherein the identified cell sites with ROIC values above the predefined threshold are classified as profitable cell sites;

classifying, by the server, cell sites with ROIC values below the predefined threshold as unprofitable cell sites;

determining, by the server, the metrics corresponding to the profitable cell sites and the metrics corresponding to the unprofitable cell sites, wherein the metrics comprise subscriber details, locations, and markets associated with the cell sites;

comparing, by the server, the metrics corresponding to the profitable cell sites with the metrics corresponding to the unprofitable cell sites, wherein differences among the cell sites are identified;

determining, by the server, changes to be implemented at the unprofitable cell sites to optimize metrics and increase ROIC values based on the differences among the cell sites;

compiling, by the server, information obtained from the cell site classification and comparison of metrics corresponding to the profitable cell sites and the unprofitable cell sites, wherein the compiled information is represented as one of a coverage map, histogram, graph, or pie chart illustrating profitable cell sites and unprofitable cell sites, along with corresponding metrics;

sending, by the server via a network, the compiled information to a workstation; and

recommending, by the server to the workstation via the network, changes to be implemented at the unprofitable cell sites based on the compiled information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of cell sites comprise connector sites alongside highways, wherein the connector sites link market areas of a cellular network together.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the plurality of cell sites are located in different geographic locations comprising suburban, urban, rural, and remote areas.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein subscriber details further comprise types of mobile devices, cell phone plans, and subscription accounts employed by the plurality of subscribers in the cellular network.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the expense data for each of the plurality of cell sites further comprises sales expenses and marketing expenses allocated to the cell sites.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the changes to be implemented at the unprofitable cell sites comprise investing in marketing and advertising, updating equipment, increasing bandwidth, and improving network performance.

14. The method of claim 8, further comprising determining changes to be implemented in building new cell sites to optimize metrics and increase ROIC values.

15. A method of managing cell site performance based on evaluating subscriber usage of cell sites in various markets, comprising:

reading, by a server communicatively coupled to a network, revenue data and usage data from a data store, wherein the usage data comprises data about cell site usage of each of a plurality of wireless communication service subscribers, and wherein the revenue data comprises;

data about revenue obtained by a wireless communication service provider from each of the wireless communication service subscribers, and

data about service revenue that is non-specific to any cell sites, wherein the service revenue is prorated across a plurality of cell sites;

analyzing, by the server, the usage data for each mobile device associated with a subscriber to determine a set of cell sites used by each of mobile device associated with the subscriber, wherein the set of used cell sites is identified from among a plurality of cell sites operated by the wireless communication service provider;

based on the analysis of usage data and the determination of the set of cell sites used by each mobile device, determining, by the server, that a mobile device uses cell sites in a different location from cell sites corresponding to a number plan area code and a central office code for the mobile device;

associating, by the server, a portion of the revenue data for each mobile device to the set of cell sites used by that mobile device irrespective of the number plan area code and central office code associated with the mobile device;

reading, by the server, expense data for each of the plurality of cell sites from a data store, wherein the expense data represents the expense of operating the cell site;

reading, by the server, capital cost data for each of the plurality of cell sites from a data store, wherein the capital cost data represents the capital cost associated with the cell site;

determining, by the server, a return on invested capital (ROIC) value for each of the plurality of cell sites based on the portion of revenue data of each subscriber associated to the cell site, based on the expense data associated to the cell site, and based on the capital cost data associated to the cell site;

storing, by the server, the return on invested capital (ROIC) value for each cell site in a data store comprising cell site information, wherein the data store comprising cell site information is accessible to users associated with a plurality of workstations; and

recommending, by the server to a communicatively coupled work station computer system, to one of perform a technology upgrade on a selected cell site, perform an adjustment procedure on the selected cell site, or build a new cell site proximate to the selected cell site based on the return on invested capital of the selected cell site.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the revenue data comprises revenue generated from voice calls and data usage from each of the wireless communication service subscribers.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the usage data further comprises information related to minutes of usage for voice calls and megabytes of usage for data from each of the wireless communication service subscribers.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the usage data and revenue data are monthly data, and wherein return on invested capital that is determined is a monthly return on invested capital metric.