- Future intelligent automated networks will require unprecedented analytical capabilities, an extensive knowledge base of past performance and continuous access to real-time data from every corner of the network.
- Enhanced self-organizing networks (SON) features in 3GPP release 17 make it easier to gather and use the required data by empowering user equipment and other network nodes to serve as the eyes and ears of the network.
Self-organizing network (SON) features play a key role in automating networks by enabling self-configuration, self-optimization and self-healing from errors using a combination of the network’s own knowledge base and data collected from user equipment (UE). 3GPP work on SON features started back in Rel-9 for LTEements by enabling UEs to report such measurements to the network directly.
SON functionality was significantly expanded and enhanced for LTE between Rel-9 and Rel-14, and it soon came to be seen as a key enabler of a proactive, predictive and autonomous mobile network.
Our perspective on SON enhancements
The concept of enhancing the information that UEs and other network nodes provide to the network in the areas of network performance and event monitoring, root-cause analysis and advanced optimization was first developed at Ericsson. We realized that, in a number of use cases, the level of monitoring and performance that could be achieved by checking a radio access network (RAN) was not sufficient to prevent and fine tune network optimization. The essence of the concept is based on the fact that the ultimate actor involved in a number of events and benefitting of the performance delivered by a RAN is the UE.
An optimal solution, therefore, would allow the UE to formulate reports concerning specific events and performance metrics, and to report such information to the RAN. The RAN, in turn, would be able to analyze reports from a number of different UEs in different radio conditions and extrapolate the possible root cause of specific failures, or to derive fine-tuned optimizations to ensure optimal resource utilization and service-level quality.
The process of adding enhanced SON features to New Radio
The popularity of the SON features in LTE led to the request for feature parity in the development of 5G New Radio (NR). Basic SON was included in NR Rel-16, while several enhancements and a selection of remaining wanted use cases were considered in Rel-17.
Ericsson was selected as rapporteur for the SON work item in Rel-17, together with China Mobile. Although many of the proposals from operators were very challenging, both in terms of standardization and in terms of their implications on product development, we embraced the challenge and actively drove the SON work to its successful and timely completion in March 2022. As part of our efforts, we also pushed to accelerate the development of new SON features in the area of unlicensed spectrum, acting as the main promoter of normative work for SON features applicable to such use cases.
The result is a set of specifications for the 5G system that is not only on par with the 4G system in terms of SON features, but goes further to include advanced features such as enrichment information from the UEs in the case of successful operation or near failure (for prevention and fine-tuned optimization), enhancements in failure detection and recovery in multi-connectivity, among others.
Support for optimization in a wide range of areas
One of the most notable enhancements in Rel-17 from our perspective is the ability to collect more data from UEs – including those that are in idle/inactive state – to support optimization in a wide range of areas including visited cells, coverage, interruption time, and handover. Thanks to the enhanced reporting capability, network nodes can correlate, analyze and use the information to take preventive rather than reactive action by fine-tuning configurations and settings, making it possible to continuously optimize the system and manage load across multiple network nodes.
Further SON enhancements will be introduced in Rel-18, including expansion in areas that were covered in previous releases, such as Mobility Robustness Optimization, Mobility Load Balancing and SON for NR in unlicensed spectrum (NR-U). Rel-18 will also enable new deployment options for SON, including non-public (private) networks.
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Gain a broader view of Ericsson’s standardization leadership
Take a look at some previous 3GPP posts to find out how we have been setting new standards in:
What is reduced capability (RedCap) NR and what will it achieve?
PDSCH dynamic repetition: Setting a new standard for supporting dynamic radio conditions and traffic profiles
This blog post was updated 16 January 2023.
