STEM newsletter

Re-modelling a wireless network with template replication

30 April 2002

New STEM reference models on ADSL, MAN, UMTS and WLAN were published on this site in February 2002 and have been attracting a lot of attention. In fact, the model on Service Costing in a Metro Network (MAN) already showcases the application of template replication to routeing-based node and trunk-level cost allocation. With the imminent release of STEM 6.2, we are now looking at how this new technology revolutionises and simplifies conventional approaches to modelling service packages and cost categories.

Let’s have a quick look at the current UMTS Migration model. This builds on an existing methodology for modelling GSM networks, in which the significant distinctions between different customer revenue types are mapped first into common network circuit or bandwidth requirements, and then disaggregated into different geographical classifications in order to capture the critical distinctions of deployment (in terms of configuration and cost).

The principle of this methodology is fine, but like many other modelling schemes, the execution can be compromised by the sheer complexity of the actual model. We maintain multiple service descriptions, all largely the same, and extended costing structures which must be developed and maintained in parallel. This is the issue which led to the concept of template replication, and we are now actively developing an update to the UMTS Migration model which will see both the service descriptions and costing structures modelled as single Templates, with concise – and readily extensible – descriptions of the revenue and geo-type Variants.

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