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 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 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 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 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: The present disclosure provides devices, systems, and methods to utilize relative timing offset information reported by one or more mobile devices. When coupled with AGPS information reported by one or more mobile devices, the offset information is be used to calibrate calculations and subsequently to locate all 3G mobiles with GPS-like accuracy, whether or not a GPS receiver is available on said mobile device being located. A determination of a propagation delay between one or more cell sites and a mobile device is reported to a network and used to calibrate unknown information such as a timing offset, to improve the accuracy of a detected location. The relative timing offset can be applied to determine a location for all other mobile devices within the area served by the known base station. The present disclosure utilizes this method in conjunction with information crowd-sourced from a plurality of mobile devices.

Abstract: A system and method for generating a map includes a database for storing a list of recipients and characteristics associated with each recipient in the list of recipients. The method and system also includes a control module for receiving a characteristic associated with at least one recipient in the list of recipients. The method and system also includes a rule engine for generating a map based at least in part on the characteristic associated with the at least one recipient using programmable rules.

Abstract: Systems and techniques for determining the location of user equipment (UE) in a wireless network are disclosed. These techniques leverage geometric calculations for an overlaid bin grid framework mapping the wireless network area to store differential values for each frame of the bin grid framework for each pair of relevant NodeBs. A timing offset can be determined, such that when a time value from a target UE is accessed, the location can be quickly determined with minimal real time computation. In an aspect, the target UE time value can be search for in the pre-computed differential value data set indexed by a relevant NodeB site pair to return a set of frames (forming a hyperbola between the site pair) that can be intersected with a second set of frames for a second NodeB site pair for the same UE. The intersecting frames can represent the location of the UE in the wireless network. Further, the data can be leveraged to correct timing in the 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 technique for reducing costs associated with a radio access network of a mobile telecommunications network includes configuring the radio access network using a linear programming model of the radio access network subject to constraints. The technique includes selecting cellular sites and hub locations of the radio access network to be connected by broadband wireless links based on the linear programming model and constraints. In at least one embodiment of the invention, a method of designing a radio access network of links between a cellular site and a core network includes selecting at least one first link of the radio access network to be at least one first wireless link at least partially based on a linear programming model of the radio access network. The method includes configuring an output device of a computer system to indicate the selection.

Abstract: A computer readable storage medium stores a set of instructions executable by a processor. The instructions are operable to receive a data set including data corresponding to a set of nodes, the data corresponding to each of the nodes including a node prize, a node cost, and a node value that is the difference between the node prize and the node cost; select one or more of the nodes for inclusion in a cluster, the cluster comprising the one or more of the nodes, two or more external links from nodes in the cluster to a network, and one or more internal links between nodes if the cluster comprises two or more nodes, each of the internal links having an internal link cost, each of the external links having an external link cost; and determine a plan for incorporating the one or more nodes in the cluster into the network, the incorporating comprising building the cluster by building the two or more external links and the one or more internal links.

Abstract: A technique for reducing costs associated with a radio access network of a mobile telecommunications network includes configuring the radio access network using a linear programming model of the radio access network subject to constraints. The technique includes selecting cellular sites and hub locations of the radio access network to be connected by broadband wireless links based on the linear programming model and constraints. In at least one embodiment of the invention, a method of designing a radio access network of links between a cellular site and a core network includes selecting at least one first link of the radio access network to be at least one first wireless link at least partially based on a linear programming model of the radio access network. The method includes configuring an output device of a computer system to indicate the selection.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining a bandwidth requirement for a network are disclosed. For example, the method gathers data for one or more types of traffic, and determines an optimal traffic model for each of the one or more types of traffic in accordance with the data and one or more traffic model adaptation rules for each of the one or more types of traffic. The method then determines a demand forecast for each of the one or more types of traffic by applying the optimal traffic model for each of the one or more types of traffic, and determines a bandwidth requirement for the one or more types of traffic in accordance with the demand forecast.

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 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 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 methodology for optimizing the placement of network “Points of Presence” (POPs) across the carrier's entire network (i.e., a “global” solution”) utilizes carefully constructed customer clustering and simulated annealing methodology to create a cost-efficient solution. The customer base is first partitioned into a plurality of clusters such that the customers within each cluster are closer to its centroid than the centroid of any other cluster (e.g., applying the k-means clustering algorithm or any other suitable method of partitioning the customer base). A linear algorithm process is used to minimize the costs associated with the number of placement of POPs within each cluster. A simulated annealing (SA) process is then used to iterate the entire set of potential POP locations until a compact, steady-state solution is achieved (or, alternatively, until a given number of iterations has been performed).

Abstract: A method and an apparatus to automate the process and procedure for long haul service providers to choose the best quote from a pool of quotes or RFP responses as the best supplier in a country or region. The disclosed method and apparatus includes a mathematical framework which determines the characteristics of each supplier option and a method to determine the cost effectiveness of each option. This method and apparatus reduces overhead and improves the evaluation process for choosing optimal access providers for long-haul communication providers.