INOS

INOS • Intelligent Network Optimisation System

INOS is an intelligent, automated testing, benchmarking and analysis platform for network operators and service providers, delivering drive testing (DT), in-building solution (IBS) capability, end to end IoT system testing, and much more, whilst decreasing both the time taken to complete the work and opex cost.

INOS is also used by Regulators needing to independently assess coverage and throughput rates, using a vendor-agnostic tool, with the support of our independent telecoms experts.

Using cloud-controlled mobiles mounted in cars or taken around buildings, INOS collects and uploads data to the cloud, and eliminates the need for a laptop or engineers in the car, or out and about inside buildings. INOS can receive updated test scripts in the field to instantly re-analyse live network configuration changes, avoiding expensive follow-up field trips. It minimises the sometimes chaotic nature of drive tests, and ensures your staff can work alone at Covid-19 safe distances.

In the (private or public) cloud, engineers can handle on-screen post-processing, as well as generate all the reports needed, with a single click.
INOS testing capabilities include,
Voice (MOS is included for both CS voice and VoLTE)
Video (PEVQs supported) – Intel/Tier One MNO case study, also on Intel blog
Data – Africell case study
OTT apps – measure and analyse E2E real-user experience (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, WhatsApp, YouTube etc)
IoT – CAT-M, NB-IoT 1, NB-IoT 2
Deep-layer analysis L3/L2/L1, and TCP/IP layer
All network technologies – 2G, 3G, 4G, LTE (including LTE 450MHz, and LTE 600MHz) and 5G
In-building, drive-testing, end to end IoT testing, and single site verification
Multi-vendor 5G chipsets: Huawei, Samsung and Qualcomm flagship mobiles
O-RAN functionality testing.
 
INOS reduces the time and opex to deliver reports and actionable recommendations: Single Site Verification is reduced from two days to just one, and benchmarking from four days to the same day.

Use case based testing
INOS: Modular architecture, designed with uses cases at its heart
Supported use cases
DT – investigative Drive Testing, with automatic reporting
SSV – Single Site Verification
BM – Benchmarking between different operators, or within the same operator before and after specific tests
IBS – In Building Solution (indoor testing, typically for office buildings and shopping malls, including 5G technology)
Customer complaints handling, including VIP
O-RAN functionality support: end to end from radio through to interoperability testing between O-RAN and Legacy RAN
IoT – Internet of Things testing.

Live monitoring ensures that data can be analysed in real-time, enabling engineers at HQ to make configuration changes and instantly assess the impact in the field.
Real-time identification of zones with no coverage, dropped calls, low speeds or latency, ensuring customer complaints can be resolved quickly and efficiently.
Robotics post-processing Radio and CX experts saves massive amounts of client-time in processing logs, and delivers accurate visibility on bad coverage, bad quality, low throughput spots as well as missing neighbours, high overlapping areas, and HW issues that hit any site (for example, cross feeder, cross sectors and VSWR).
Data can be aggregated at the cell, site, area, user or mobile level, enabling engineers to drill down to the required level of detail when monitoring network performance.
Improve VIP and customer experience by troubleshooting end-to-end performance issues, understand churn behaviour and obtain performance data before / after move.
 
Additional features 
Configuration browser: audit, browse and map the configuration of different sites via one interface
Network planning: easy access to configuration and radio network planning
KPI management: multi-vendor KPI reporting and automatic degradation tool
INOS 5G complete testing set enables visibility of more than two hundred different network KPIs
Trace analyser: multi-vendor, multi-technology end-to-end signalling and data flow management.
 
Technical implementation
Each INOS test kit supports an unlimited number of connected mobiles – all devices can be preconfigured, and issued in a secure, discrete box.
All devices can be updated over the air remotely, with no local intervention, enabling test scripts to be modified live in the field.
Built-in GPS ensures accurate geo-located measurements and precise network testing
Integrated and dedicated ARM processor: low power consumption, and enhanced processing speed
INOS full testing solution: INOS test kit + tablet
INOS handy test solution: INOS test kit + Android mobile phone.
Using a software development kit (SDK) transforms a smartphone into a sophisticated mobile network drive testing tool
Includes support for multi-vendor 5G chipsets: Huawei, Samsung and Qualcomm flagship mobiles
Agile and robust architecture provides a scalable network testing solution
Rich graphical interface, analysis and reporting capability provides flexible ways of analysing and presenting test data
Data can be aggregated at the cell, site, area, user or mobile level – drill down to the required level of detail when monitoring network performance
Intuitive interface enables test data from multiple devices to be viewed and analysed.
 
Automated reporting
Perform routine tasks with ease, and generate actionable reports automatically
Load log files automatically in real-time, and generate reports with one click
Fully customisable and automated report generation and benchmarking interface: develop bespoke KPI reports, create your own templates and threshold alerts
Automate radio analysis for all technologies (coverage, throughput, etc.), and detect problematic sites (cross-sector)
Generate single site acceptance report instantly
Gain insight into actual end customer experience: streaming performance tests e.g. YouTube, Dailymotion, and social media site performance (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter)

Use cases
Optimisation: ensure the team detect problems swiftly
Simulate user experience by creating specified test procedures for problem prediction
Real-time problem detection for site acceptance – “post-processing” is instant, and recommended actions can be swiftly implemented and re-tested, avoiding the need to send a field engineer back out for a follow-up visit.
 
Quality testing
A modular suite of automated network intelligence and testing tools
In the field, data is sent directly to the cloud, eliminating the need for an engineer in the field, and reducing operational costs and minimising any health and safety risks
Cloud-based: quick and agile access to data, with convenient storage of network history in one place
Fewer setup tools are required, deployment is simple and fast
Modular reporting (standard or advanced) capability enables the creation of tailored reports, empowering operators to access the insights they want, when they want them
Test drive latency is low and problems can be resolved in real-time – customers quickly benefit from improved network experience, and operators optimise their revenue swiftly.

  • Automatic analysis: sophisticated machine learning (ML) based recommendations based on large amounts of historical data
  • Errors are explained and AI-driven solutions provided – ensuring your team can understand what went wrong and what needs to be done to fix it
  • Smart integration with OSS (Operations Support System)
  • The reporting tool keeps pace with new technology deployments: operators obtain the latest insights and intelligence from their networks as technology evolves.

Use cases

  • Coverage analysis helps operators identify bad coverage spots, lack of dominance and over-shooters
  • Quality and interference analysis makes it possible to detect bad quality and interfered spots
  • Throughput analysis provides the reason behind field throughput problem.

Voice quality testing

  • Analyse both cellular and VoIP calls
  • No need for analogue PSTN or ISDN boards to generate voice
  • Measure network RTT, jitter and packet loss for VoIP calls
  • Find MOS score for all calls using reference audio or real call audio and support any language
  • Waveform analysis to understand the causal relationship between audio problems with network conditions
  • No need for synch signal to affect quality when excluding it from recorded file.

INOS live monitoring

Sophisticated network monitoring from your smartphone

  • Real-time data facilitates more immediate and insightful decision-making: live monitoring ensures that data can be analysed in real-time, enabling engineers at HQ to make configuration changes and instantly re-assess the impact in the field.
  • Real-time identification of zones with no coverage, dropped calls, low speeds or latency, ensuring customer complaints can be resolved quickly and efficiently.
  • Highly accurate test data provides a true benchmark for the customer experience delivered on the mobile network.
  • Real-time identification of zones with no coverage, dropped calls, low speeds or latency, so customer complaints can be resolved quickly and efficiently.
  • Improve the customer experience by troubleshooting end-to-end performance issues; understand churn behaviour and obtain performance data.
  • User insights enable identification of end-user application usage patterns, Wi-Fi and mobile data penetration and usage patterns, in addition to device penetration.

IoT testing

Comprehensive IoT testing delivered through an intuitive testing tool

The team knows how complex IoT issues can be, especially when problems occur intermittently. Use our skills and expertise to get to the heart of your IoT issues, and solve them efficiently. We use INOS as part of our approach to testing IoT systems, as it can assess complex interactions across multi-vendor network implementations.

  • Integration issues between new IoT components and legacy systems
  • Intermittent connectivity and stability issues
  • Ensuring continuity of service as new network technologies are deployed
  • Assessing risks in changing connectivity provider
  • Compatibility testing of new components into an existing scheme.

By using the INOS IoT testing module the functionality of IoT sensors can be easily checked, as well as the deep layers, to investigate any E2E network issues. The solution can also deliver deep layer investigation over air interface.

  • Test all protocols with one tool – supports all IoT RF connectivity (LTE – Cat M1, NB1 and NB2), and all connection protocols TCP/UDP/FTP/HTTP/HTTPS/FTPS/TLS/MQTT/CoAP
  • Test multiple LTE bands, whilst using one: supports LTE bands (bands 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 12, 13, 20, 28)
  • Low power usage: sleep/standby modes/stop
  • Query all advanced RF parameters for comprehensive network testing
  • Enhanced experience: Field engineers can perform any type of RF test (Band Lock, PCI, type of connectivity, etc.) via an intuitive Android smartphone interface
  • E2E IoT testing including IoT platform layer issues
  • Experience and expertise: INOS has been used in multiple integrations with IoT platforms, for example, Thingsboard, Thingspeak, etc.

Configuration browser

Audit, browse and map the configuration of different sites in one place

  • View all network node configurations, and compare
  • Audit all network configurations based on customised templates
  • Daily dashboard to detect network configurations changes
  • Swap: supports multi-vendor parameters mapping
  • Auto-update configuration capability: paint a real picture of network node configurations
  • Create customised periodic reports for network parameters mismatch
  • Accessibility and audits: quick and full access to network node configurations, multi-vendor parameters browser, compare nodes of same vendor parameters, compare parameters of multiple vendors

Network planning

Easy access to configuration and radio network planning

  • ACP planning
  • GSM: AFP, BSIC, and neighbour planning
  • UMTS: scrambling code  and neighbour planning
  • LTE: PCI, RACH and neighbour planning

Use cases

  • Power options: plan certain area/cells and whole network, check and fix network clashes, reuse network planning reports
  • Competing points: planning based on weighting factor of distance, neighbours and azimuth; automatic reporting for network clashes; fix clashed cells without changing other cells. configurations.

Trace analyser

Multi-vendor end-to-end signalling and data flow management

  • Trace end-to-end signalling and data flow
  • Full access to all network performance measurements
  • Identify impact of changing parameters on the network performance
  • Multiple vendors supported (Ericsson, Huawei etc.)
  • Network problems diagnosis (CSFB, call drops etc.)

Use cases

  • Auto update: periodic update for INOS tool by recorded files
  • End-to-end image: field problems can be detected, parameter change reflection on field, deep investigation between core to UE signalling problems.

Network KPI management

One interface for multi-vendor KPI reporting and automatic alerts

  • Query KPIs at cluster/network level for daily, weekly and monthly timeframes
  • Automatic daily report show cells that have degraded the most
  • Utilise customised KPIs templates
  • INOS 5G complete testing set gives you visibility of more than two hundred different network KPIs
  • Support multiple vendors simultaneously
  • O-RAN functionality testing, end to end from radio through to interoperability testing between O-RAN and Legacy RAN – ensures you can pin-point which component/s in your multi-vendor ecosystem need to be optimised or investigated further.

Use cases

  • Real-time browsing: periodic update for counters database
  • Performance monitoring: worst degraded cells detection, detect KPI changes against pre-configured thresholds for degradation or enhancement
  • No hiding place: in multi-vendor architectures, identify which elements need performance optimisation
  • One interface: view network KPIs easily, multi-vendor KPI browser, create multiple technologies analysis