Abstract: A method and apparatus for selecting a bandwidth option for a cell in a network are disclosed. For example, the method obtains, for the cell, network traffic data for a geographical area for mobility traffic and fixed wireless traffic, a physical characteristic of an antenna in the geographical area, and a type of connectivity at a customer premise, determines a busy time data traffic from the network traffic data for both the fixed wireless traffic and the mobility traffic, determines, for the cell, a cell range from the physical characteristic of the antenna and the type of connectivity at the customer premise, selects a bandwidth option from a plurality of bandwidth options, and determines an average throughput in accordance with the bandwidth option that is selected and the cell range, wherein the average throughput comprises a throughput for serving both the mobility traffic and the fixed wireless traffic.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method guides a user in designing a product defined by data. The method involves examining (420) items of the data to detect whether each item conforms to rules (106) or violates the rules; performing (431 . . . ) at least one action in response to a detection of a rule violation; displaying (450) the data to the user in a manner emphasizing at least one particular data item that caused the rule violation; receiving (460) any new data input from the user; and repeating the examining, action performing, and displaying steps using the new data. The displaying step may involve displaying data defining a current state of the product in a tabular (spreadsheet) format, including displaying data detected to have caused the rule violation in a first manner that is visibly distinct from displaying other data that is not detected to have caused the rule violation.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing planning of a plurality of radio network controllers in a wireless network are disclosed. For example, the method obtains input data, and determines a limit for at least one radio network controller parameter in accordance with the input data. The method determines if the limit for the at least one radio network controller parameter is exceeded and determines an optimal output for an objective function, wherein the objective function is based on a plurality of penalty factors, if the limit for the at least one radio controller parameter is exceeded.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for locating a Wi-Fi hotspot for offloading wireless traffic from a cellular network are disclosed. For example, the method obtains network traffic data for the second type of wireless access network for a geographical area, and obtains a list of sectors in the geographical area. The method selects at least one sector from the list of sectors to be relieved, and determines a geographical range for the at least one sector. The method then obtains at least one hotspot of the first type of wireless access network within the geographical range, wherein the at least one hotspot is a potential location for offloading the wireless traffic from the second type of wireless access network.

Abstract: A link in a communications network is provisioned with a particular bandwidth capacity determined as a function of a “sub-par customer data fraction.” The sub-par data fraction is given by a) the amount of data transferred under sub-par condition divided by b) the total data transferred, where “sub-par condition” means that data is transferred below a given target bit rate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing an estimation of traffic reassignment for a network are disclosed. For example, the method and apparatus provide an automatic estimation of traffic reassignment for a wireless network.

Abstract: A link in a communications network is provisioned with a particular bandwidth capacity determined as a function of a “sub-par customer data fraction.” The sub-par data fraction is given by a) the amount of data transferred under sub-par condition divided by b) the total data transferred, where “sub-par condition” means that data is transferred below a given target bit rate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing planning of a plurality of mobile switching centers in a wireless network are disclosed. For example, the method obtains input data, and determines a limit for at least one mobile switching center parameter in accordance with the input data. The method determines if the limit for the at least one mobile switching center parameter is exceeded and determines an optimal output for an objective function, wherein the objective function is based on a plurality of penalty factors, if the limit for the at least one mobile switching center parameter is exceeded.

Abstract: A computerized method and system for integrated access network business planning for a telecommunications carrier. The invention enables a user to input a set of network business planning parameters that are utilized by a linear programming model to jointly optimize a carrier's dedicated and radio access network by executing a plurality of network optimization models and determine network configuration changes for the dedicated and radio access networks as a constrained optimization based on the set of business planning parameters.

Abstract: A method, computer readable medium for diagnosing wireless network performance via a customer endpoint device are disclosed. For example, the method receives a request to perform a wireless network performance diagnostic test that is initiated by a customer endpoint device, establishes a session with the customer endpoint device, performs the wireless network performance diagnostic test in response to the request via the session using a packet generated by the customer endpoint device and provides diagnostic test data gathered from the wireless network performance diagnostic test to the customer endpoint device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing an estimation of traffic reassignment for a network are disclosed. For example, the method and apparatus provide an automatic estimation of traffic reassignment for a wireless network.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing planning of a plurality of base station controllers in a wireless network are disclosed. For example, the method obtains input data, and determines a limit for at least one base station controller parameter in accordance with the input data. The method determines if the limit for the at least one base station controller parameter is exceeded and determines an optimal output for an objective function, wherein the objective function is based on a plurality of penalty factors, if the limit for the at least one base station controller parameter is exceeded.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing planning of a plurality of serving general packet radio service support nodes in a wireless network are disclosed. For example, the method obtains input data, and determines a limit for at least one serving general packet radio service support node parameter in accordance with the input data. The method determines if the limit for the at least one serving general packet radio service support node parameter is exceeded and determines an optimal output for an objective function, wherein the objective function is based on a plurality of penalty factors, if the limit for the at least one serving general packet radio service support node parameter is exceeded.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing planning of a plurality of mobile switching centers in a wireless network are disclosed. For example, the method obtains input data, and determines a limit for at least one mobile switching center parameter in accordance with the input data. The method determines if the limit for the at least one mobile switching center parameter is exceeded and determines an optimal output for an objective function, wherein the objective function is based on a plurality of penalty factors, if the limit for the at least one mobile switching center parameter is exceeded.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing planning of a plurality of radio network controllers in a wireless network are disclosed. For example, the method obtains input data, and determines a limit for at least one radio network controller parameter in accordance with the input data. The method determines if the limit for the at least one radio network controller parameter is exceeded and determines an optimal output for an objective function, wherein the objective function is based on a plurality of penalty factors, if the limit for the at least one radio controller parameter is exceeded.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for forecasting busy hour traffic for a network are disclosed. For example, the method obtains actual traffic data for a seed time frame for each of one or more sectors in a given market and marketing projections for one or more forecast time frames for the given market, and determines a market traffic actual measure for the given market from the actual traffic data. The method obtains market traffic estimates from one or more previous runs, and updates the one or more market traffic estimates for the one or more forecast time frames beyond the seed time frame to obtain one or more updated market traffic estimates, wherein the updated market traffic estimates are used for forecasting the busy hour traffic data for each of the one or more forecast time frames beyond the seed time frame.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for locating a Wi-Fi hotspot for offloading wireless traffic from a cellular network are disclosed. For example, the method obtains network traffic data for the second type of wireless access network for a geographical area, and obtains a list of sectors in the geographical area. The method selects at least one sector from the list of sectors to be relieved, and determines a geographical range for the at least one sector. The method then obtains at least one hotspot of the first type of wireless access network within the geographical range, wherein the at least one hotspot is a potential location for offloading the wireless traffic from the second type of wireless access network.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for selecting a bandwidth option for a cell in a network are disclosed. For example, the method obtains, for the cell, network traffic data for a geographical area, and a physical characteristic of an antenna in the geographical area, determines busy time data traffic from the network traffic data, determines, for the cell, a cell range from the physical characteristic of the antenna, selects a bandwidth option from a plurality of bandwidth options, and determines an average throughput in accordance with the bandwidth option that is selected and the cell range.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for selecting a bandwidth option for a cell in a network are disclosed. For example, the method obtains, for the cell, network traffic data for a geographical area for mobility traffic and fixed wireless traffic, a physical characteristic of an antenna in the geographical area, and a type of connectivity at a customer premise, determines a busy time data traffic from the network traffic data for both the fixed wireless traffic and the mobility traffic, determines, for the cell, a cell range from the physical characteristic of the antenna and the type of connectivity at the customer premise, selects a bandwidth option from a plurality of bandwidth options, and determines an average throughput in accordance with the bandwidth option that is selected and the cell range, wherein the average throughput comprises a throughput for serving both the mobility traffic and the fixed wireless traffic.

Abstract: A link in a communications network is provisioned with a particular bandwidth capacity determined as a function of a “sub-par customer data fraction.” The sub-par data fraction is given by a) the amount of data transferred under sub-par condition divided by b) the total data transferred, where “sub-par condition” means that data is transferred below a given target bit rate.