Vodafone said that it uses big data software, based on tools from Google Cloud and Cardinality.IO, to improve mobile network planning decisions.
Vodafone is improving its network planning decision-making by using software that can process and analyse up to eight billion points of data every day from across its mobile network in 11 European countries. Vodafone United Performance Management (UPM), as it’s called, performs its analysis using artificial intelligence tools from Google Cloud and Cardinality.IO.
By using real-time insights from UPM to simplify core operations, Vodafone has already seen a 70% reduction in major network and IT incidents. This frees up staff to work on other key tasks.
In future, UPM’s insights will be used to help prioritise network upgrades. It can do this by analysing traffic patterns and pinpointing areas where demand is greatest – such as ports and transports hubs – as well as areas that may be suffering from patchy coverage.
It will also help spot network outages, so service can be restored as swiftly as possible.
UPM will replace more than 100 separate network performance management tools currently in use. In addition to network planning, it can also be used to detect and block fraudulent behaviour. UPM runs on Vodafone’s own European servers, accessible only by authorised users. Data is protected using encryption, anonymisation, pseudonymisation and aggregation.
Johan Wibergh, Chief Technology Officer of Vodafone
As the needs of our 300 million plus mobile customers evolve so will our network using this new platform. It is a global data hub that gives us a real-time view of what is happening anywhere on our network, uses our global scale to manage traffic growth cheaper and more efficiently as customer data consumption grows by around 40% per year, and supports the full automation of our network by 2025.
