Implementing Remote Management of Base Station Channel Banks

• Application
• - Cellular Backhaul
• Challenge
• - Implement channel banks transmitting analog cellular voice over digital lines.
• - Enable remote SNMP management of these channel banks and manage various devices at the base stations.
• Previous Solution
• - The previously used channel banks did not support any remote management functions. Pele-phone executives realized that without centralized management of the base stations' channel banks, it would be difficult to troubleshoot and configure the growing network.
• RAD's Solution
• - RAD recommended implementing Megaplex-2100 multiplexers both at base stations and at switching centers, supporting central site or remote configuration, diagnostics and testing via the RADview SNMP-based platform. To date, over 100 Megaplex-2100 units have been installed throughout the country.
• Benefits
• - RAD's solution helps the cellular carrier provide uninterrupted service cost-effectively by enabling remote troubleshooting, testing and configuration.

Rapid Growth Requires Centralized Network Management

Accelerated growth in the Israeli cellular market contributed to Pele-phone's need to rapidly enlarge its network. The cellular carrier sought solutions supporting central management and enabling network expansion without costly and time-consuming configuration and maintenance. RAD responded to this need by offering a solution based on the Megaplex-2100, a modular E1/T1 voice and data multiplexer supporting standard SNMP management. RAD also recommended installing DXC Digital Access Nodes in selected base stations, to minimize the risk that a sector, or a service area, would be disconnected from the network due to E1 link failure. Based on the efficient performance of the first Megaplex-2100 units installed, Pele-phone decided to implement the MP-2100 in all their switching centers and in a number of base stations as well. To date, more than 100 Megaplex-2100 units have been installed, and new orders are growing together with Pele-phone's rapid expansion.

Quick Installation

Ease of installation contributes to Pele-phone's satisfaction with the RAD solution. "Despite our network's complexity and the high volume of traffic 24 hours a day, we were able to install the Megaplex-2100 equipment quickly and easily, right from the start," states Joe Collen, who is responsible for Pele-phone's transmission infrastructure. "We can get new base stations up and running in just a couple of hours, and implementing the Megaplex at existing central sites can literally be done overnight." Collen notes that only one real obstacle was encountered during installation of the Megaplex-2100 solution - legacy wiring had to be replaced to support RAD's modern equipment.

Instant and Efficient Troubleshooting

Since the RAD solution enables technicians to diagnose and even solve problems from their PCs at home, there are fewer site visits, and breakdowns in PTT lines can be reported immediately. Other benefits of the upgrade include savings in wiring administration and floor space as well as signaling over digital links from base stations to switching centers or between switching centers. Pele-phone Vice-President of Engineering and Operations, Nissim Ben-Dayan, sums up, "With the Megaplex-2100 solution, providing uninterrupted service round-the-clock to our thousands of cellular customers becomes more practical than ever."