In an exclusive discussion with TelecomDrive.com – Navdeep Malik, a Technical Program Manager with Charter Communications specializing in leading telecom infrastructure and service projects, with a focus on outage management, network automation, and enhancing customer experience – speaks with Zia Askari about leading trends in network automation and what telecommunication companies should do in order to drive future-proof experience for their customers.
Navdeep’s expertise in IT program management drives the seamless execution of complex initiatives, ensuring operational excellence and innovation in the telecommunications industry.
What are the key priorities for Charter when it comes to managing network outage situations?
At Charter, the key priority is always ensuring that customer experience remains at the forefront when managing network outage situations. Our goal is to not only detect and resolve outages swiftly but also to proactively communicate with customers. In my role as Technical Program Manager leading the Outage Management Program, I’ve helped implement several key technology solutions, such as Proactive Service Alerts, which allow us to notify customers instantly when a disruption occurs.
We created a robust physical infrastructure and technology infrastructure enablement with software applications, monitoring tools and technology integrations over the last couple of years to make it happen. The idea is to keep the customer informed in real-time about the outage and the expected resolution time, whether the disruption is planned or unplanned (like network maintenance).
Additionally, we leverage data-driven insights to reduce customer calls to our service centers, which not only improves operational efficiency but also significantly enhances the overall customer experience. Charter’s focus on maintaining compliance with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations is another priority, as we ensure timely and effective communication during outages, especially for critical customers like federal agencies and emergency services.
To what extent does network automation and technologies such as SON help towards enabling self-healing networks?
Network automation, particularly technologies like Self-Organizing Networks (SON), play a crucial role in enabling self-healing capabilities within large telecommunications infrastructures like Charter’s. SON allows for dynamic reconfiguration of the network in response to changes or failures, which greatly reduces manual intervention and accelerates the recovery process. This self-healing ability is vital for ensuring that network outages are addressed before they escalate into larger issues.
In my experience at Charter, we have continuously integrated automated monitoring tools within our Outage Management Program that not only detect network anomalies but also trigger pre-emptive actions to restore services. Automation reduces downtime and improves reliability, helping us meet customer expectations for seamless connectivity. As networks become more complex with 5G and other technologies, SON will be instrumental in optimizing performance, balancing loads, and ensuring rapid recovery without impacting end-users.
What kind of innovations can we expect from Telecommunications companies in this direction in the near future?
Innovation at telecom companies has to be closely aligned with enhancing customer experience and operational efficiency. One area where companies should invest in is in expanding the scope of proactive outage management systems. The aim should be to improve predictive maintenance capabilities, using AI and machine learning to identify potential failure points before they occur. By integrating these advanced analytics into the network monitoring tools, we can take corrective actions proactively.
Additionally, exploration of deeper integration of cloud-based network management and edge computing to enable faster response times during outages is very important. This will also support the growing demand for low-latency services like video streaming and gaming. Another significant area of focus is enhancing the self-healing capabilities through automation and AI-driven insights, which will allow to create more resilient networks that adapt dynamically to issues.
What are some of the tech trends that you think are important towards delivering seamless experiences for customers?
Several technology trends are emerging as critical to delivering seamless customer experiences in telecom. First and foremost is the continued expansion and deployment of 5G infrastructure. 5G not only enhances bandwidth but also enables ultra-low latency, which is essential for services like augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and real-time gaming.
Automation and AI-based predictive analytics are another significant trend. As networks grow in complexity, these technologies help manage traffic, predict service disruptions, and optimize network performance in real time. At Charter, we’re actively exploring the use of AI to enhance network management and customer service interactions, improving response times and issue resolution rates.
Cloud-native technologies are also becoming crucial, allowing for scalable, resilient network architectures that can handle the ever-increasing data traffic efficiently. Edge computing, combined with 5G, will further reduce latency, ensuring that even the most data-intensive applications can run seamlessly.
With 5G, private 5G, enterprise networks, and sports-events-based connectivity scenarios, it is becoming extremely important to manage disruption in a minimal manner, and customers want connectivity everywhere, all the time. What’s the best way to achieve this in today’s scenario?
Achieving near-constant connectivity in today’s environment requires a multi-faceted approach. First, robust infrastructure is key. This includes deploying small cells, distributed antenna systems (DAS), and edge computing to manage network demand efficiently, especially during high-traffic events like sports games or concerts. At Charter, we’re focused on building and optimizing such infrastructure with technology integrations to ensure that connectivity remains uninterrupted, even in the most challenging environments.
Additionally, deploying private 5G networks for enterprise customers offers greater control over network performance, security, and reliability. Combining this with the larger public 5G network provides seamless handovers and ensures that both enterprises and consumers have uninterrupted service.
Finally, leveraging technologies like AI and network automation for real-time monitoring and self-healing capabilities helps address disruptions before they affect end-users. By predicting and preemptively addressing network anomalies, we can maintain the high levels of reliability that today’s connected customers expect.
