WSP Network and Facilities Optimization

Challenge/Opportunity

National wireless service provider desires to reduce leased facilities cost and increase backhaul capacity for 3G and future 4G wireless base station sites using broadband point-to-point microwave.  Some microwave systems were deployed in the network but these deployments were ad hoc with no coordinated network standard specifications, design standards, or deployment standards.  Broadband microwave technical knowledge was not a core competency for the service provider.  A number of RF and Transport Engineers possessed various levels of competency with broadband microwave, but these individuals were dispersed around the country.  The client needed a focused, managed effort to define the microwave product specifications and business processes to effectively implement the microwave technology solutions. 

The wireless service provider’s organization consists of a national headquarters team with budget responsibilities for the microwave product and process definition and the planning and engineering of the specific microwave paths in the field.  Four regional organizations are responsible for the implementation of the specific microwave paths including site leasing, construction, testing, in-service process, and on-going maintenance and repair. Clients existed in all five teams, as discussed below.

Solution

Under direction of the headquarters leadership team, Widelity’s first task was to provide experienced broadband microwave technical staff to define appropriate technical specifications for point-to-point microwave products, which would support the range, capacity, and performance required in a commercial high-availability network.  Widelity then assisted in the writing and distribution of RFP to prospective vendors and the evaluation of vendor responses.  Widelity staff also wrote the engineering and deployment standards that determined how the selected microwave equipment would be engineered and deployed within the service provider’s legacy network.  With support and coordination with the headquarters integration lab, Widelity configured and tested the microwave solution to confirm the proposed configurations would function in the production network.  With the equipment and processes defined, Widelity deployed experienced backhaul engineers and project managers to the four regions to coordinate with the operations team to identify microwave candidate sites, design the microwave network, and assist in the planning and deployment of the microwave network in each region.

Benefits

Widelity, with significant experience in broadband wireless technology, was an ideal choice to support the national wireless carrier with its microwave backhaul initiative.  Widelity was able to provide staff with specific technical knowledge not readily available in the organization in a timeframe that was optimal for the project.  With Widelity performing the recruiting and staffing in addition to the tasks directly related to the microwave project, the client’s own resources were not diverted from their own mission­ critical design and project work, thus other initiatives were not impacted.