It’s time to get your network assets out

After over a decade of planning and postponing, the telecom industry’s TDM-to-IP transition is in its final lap. This transformation refers to CSPs migrating from their legacy Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) networks to the newer Internet Protocol (IP) networks. This shift is a huge undertaking, and it’s being driven by regulatory, technology, and cost factors. TDM has reached the end of its lifecycle and CSPs need to transition to IP to support new services, reduce costs, and improve network performance.

Reasons for the Transition to all-IP:

Cost Savings: IP networks are typically more cost-effective than TDM networks and TDM pricing is increasing exponentially.
Convergence: Unlike TDM, IP networks can handle any type of traffic on a single network, including voice, data, and video, simplifying network management.
Outdated Equipment and Expertise: As TDM networks become obsolete, there are real challenges in securing equipment – and the people to manage it.
Greater Efficiency: with better bandwidth utilization and scalability, IP networks allow service providers to launch new and updated services more quickly.

Preparatory Steps for a Successful TDM-to-IP Transition
Migrating complex TDM-dependent systems to IP requires careful planning and execution. Big changes to the network can be risky, costly, and painful, which makes it especially important to do everything possible in advance to help smooth the transition. Transforming from TDM to IP-based services requires a migration strategy that maintains customer satisfaction and service levels throughout the move so that customers don’t churn during the changeover. While this is the goal, it’s easier said than done.

Phase 1- Network Reconciliation: It’s Time to Get Your Network Assets in Order
If you’re going to transition circuits and customers to an upgraded network, knowing what you have is a critical first step. As simple as that sounds, oftentimes this is the Achilles heel of these projects. Older networks have gone through decades of transitions and could be inherited from multiple mergers and acquisitions, and oftentimes records are inaccurate. Cleaning up network inventory records is like cleaning out the closet – it is often put off until there is a critical driver that pushes it to the forefront. You’re either moving the household or you’re moving the network. In the telecom space, getting your network assets in order is called Network Reconciliation. The output of this project is to establish a baseline of what is in the current TDM network and how it’s all connected so the planning can begin.

Phase 2 – Network Grooming: An Exercise in Optimization
Once the TDM baseline has been established, an evaluation of what you want to migrate to IP (or disconnect) will follow. This includes all the related network components that need to be unraveled. Telecom networks have a complex hierarchical relationship, so unpacking this is critical as it means multiple stakeholders must coordinate and align activities, and this complexity can drive the project schedule. You are not only dealing with the fixed network, but there is a significant amount of TDM trunking still in place in legacy networks covering voice, toll-free, and E911 traffic that needs to be migrated as well.

Despite all these efforts, there is typically a subset of the baseline that cannot be confidently identified, even when multiple layers of research and discovery are used. When this happens, operators may employ the “scream test”: simply disconnect the service and “see who screams” – with a well-documented rollback plan in place, of course.

For a network that has been positively identified, the grooming process is viewed through an optimization lens. This requires looking at the network as a whole, and factoring in cost, capacity and network reliability when making decisions.

Benefits of Network Grooming

Network and Cost Efficiencies:
Grooming helps to right-size your telecom network by consolidating traffic, eliminating stranded assets, making it more cost-effective and efficient.
Scalability and Performance Improvements:
Moving from TDM to IP networks leads to faster and improved network performance, with greater flexibility and scalability than TDM networks.
Lower Costs:
Network grooming can help lower telecom expenses by optimizing how resources are utilized and identifying stranded circuits.
Traffic Flow Improvements:
Aggregating and rerouting traffic to IP networks can improve network efficiency.

How TEOCO Can Help
Network reconciliation and grooming projects are labor intensive and require a specific set of skills and expertise. As a trusted partner to many leading telecom providers and with decades of experience under our belts, you can count on TEOCO for your network transformation needs.

Engage the TEOCO SmartOps professional services team to help mitigate risks and establish a clear plan to modernize your network architecture. Our Planning, Implementation, Analysis, Optimization and Visualization expertise can be delivered as a full outsource, staff augmentation, or as consultative services. Learn more at www.teoco.com/smartops/