Your fibre optic fault detection plan could be make-or-break in emerging markets

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The fibre optic connectivity market is undergoing a global transformation. While established regions approach saturation, new frontiers, particularly those characterised by high growth and low penetration, are emerging as key drivers. This is evident in regions like India, Brazil and Southeast Asia, where FTTx deployments are rapidly expanding. Yet, with rapid deployment in new regions come idiosyncratic challenges, namely, how to orchestrate fibre optic fault detection.

Unlike developed regions with robust existing infrastructure, emerging markets often require the construction of entirely new FTTx networks, a complex undertaking in itself. This challenge is further compounded by the logistical hurdles posed by sparsely populated areas and challenging geographical terrains. Additionally, the skilled workforce necessary for FTTx installation, testing and troubleshooting might be limited, necessitating investment in training and development to ensure proper network maintenance. 

By addressing these challenges, telecom companies can navigate the complexities of emerging FTTx markets and deliver on their service level agreements (SLA). This, in turn, will unlock the immense potential for growth in these regions. This relies on two crucial dimensions: ensuring the SLA is met via combined proactive and reactive maintenance strategies and, in turn, ensuring the fault resolution SLA itself is achievable.

Navigating the nuances of emerging markets 

Emerging markets present a unique set of challenges for fibre optic fault detection. Unlike established regions with well-developed infrastructure, these areas often require telecom companies to navigate complexities specific to their environment. Meanwhile, the looming possibility of low adoption and monetisation potential necessitates careful planning and robust marketing plans. 

First and foremost, emerging markets often have a developing FTTx infrastructure. These newer networks lack established maintenance procedures and skilled personnel trained in troubleshooting advanced fibre optic systems, thus rendering FTTx fault detection and resolution an even greater challenge.

Then there’s the issue of geography, whose only unifying characteristic is diversity. When people think of new markets, they often think of rural areas; however, in emerging markets, the landscape could be quite the opposite. Latin America, the Middle East, and South and Southeast Asia are home to bustling metropolises with a labyrinthine network of underground cables. Here, multiple service providers vie for limited space, creating a high risk of cable congestion. Fault detection in such an environment requires a nuanced approach, especially where third-party actors could be the source of most incidents. 

In stark contrast, vast distances and challenging terrain characterise sparsely populated rural areas. Due to geographical remoteness and, in some cases, extreme weather, long cable runs and limited technician availability pose significant challenges. Here, remote monitoring and diagnostics tools become essential, enabling technicians to address issues remotely and minimise the need for on-site visits. Meanwhile, companies have to balance the cost of maintenance with the possibility of low adoption. 

These factors underscore the importance of crafting a fibre optic fault detection strategy beyond a one-size-fits-all approach. To truly excel in emerging markets, we need to bridge this gap by implementing a combination of proactive and reactive measures tailored to the specific challenges at hand.

How to improve fibre optic fault detection

When it comes to safeguarding the health of FTTH networks and their subsequent SLAs, achieving optimal performance hinges on a well-balanced approach to fault detection. This balance is struck between proactive and reactive strategies.

Proactive fibre optic fault detection, akin to preventative medicine for your network, anticipates potential issues before they disrupt services. Some schools of thought suggest that proactive fault detection is somewhat of a misnomer; however, machine learning technologies facilitate proactive maintenance measures with remarkable precision. It involves continuous monitoring of network parameters, leveraging historical data to predict future faults, and utilising remote diagnostics to address problems before they escalate. 

Reactive fault detection, in contrast, addresses problems after they arise, much like responding to the symptoms of an illness. It relies on customer reports to pinpoint areas with high fault occurrences, necessitates a skilled workforce for efficient troubleshooting, and utilises fault correlation tools to identify the root causes of disruptions. While proactive strategies are undeniably preferable, unforeseen events like unexpected equipment failures or environmental disturbances can still occur. This is where reactive measures become crucial for addressing these issues and minimising service downtime. 

Therefore, a well-designed fault detection system shouldn’t be two-dimensional. By combining proactive and reactive approaches, telecom companies in emerging FTTH markets can create a robust fibre optic fault detection system that optimises network performance and ensures a reliable fibre broadband experience. So, what might such strategies entail?

Proactive Strategies

• Predictive analytics and AI. This approach leverages cutting-edge technology to analyse network performance data in real time. By identifying patterns often preceding faults, advanced AI and predictive analytics can anticipate potential issues before they impact customers. This allows for proactive maintenance and preventative measures, significantly reducing service disruptions.
• Workforce management for proactive maintenance. Proactive measures also involve strategic workforce management for scheduling routine maintenance tasks. Analysing historical data and potential fault scenarios helps predict areas requiring servicing, allowing technicians to address weaknesses before they escalate into actual faults.
• IoT sensors for unforeseen events. Emerging threats like third-party activities (construction, roadwork) can also be addressed proactively. Deploying IoT sensors in strategic locations can detect new activities in real time, allowing teams to be dispatched for preventative action and minimising disruptions caused by unforeseen events.

Reactive Strategies

• Leveraging customer reports and network alarms. Customer complaints and automated alerts from network monitoring tools form the backbone of reactive fault detection. This approach prioritises enhancing customer service portals to simplify and expedite fault reporting, ensuring a swift response to service disruptions.
• Intelligent fault detection systems. While generally deployed in proactive contexts, such systems also have reactive use cases. Intelligent systems can analyse network data and automatically detect faults as they occur. This provides valuable real-time insights that can be used to isolate problems and initiate repairs quickly.

This combination of proactive and reactive strategies creates a robust fault detection system. Undoubtedly, the most modern approaches leverage AI and ML, which demand expertise and high initial investment. Nonetheless, companies at the vanguard of AI implementation have reported a 13% return on investment (ROI) for their AI projects, more than double the average ROI of 5.9%.

By anticipating potential issues and efficiently addressing unforeseen problems, telecom companies in emerging FTTH markets can minimise network downtime and meet incident resolution SLAs. Nonetheless, in light of the specific challenges faced in emerging markets, ensuring that you meet the SLA will hinge on its wording. As such, companies should seek to offer customers an achievable service level in light of the region’s geography.

What is an incident resolution SLA?

As any seasoned professional knows, a service level agreement (SLA) is a formal agreement between a service provider (like a phone company or internet provider) and a customer outlining the level of service they can expect. It’s basically a way to set clear expectations for both sides. 

Meanwhile, an incident resolution SLA dives deeper into how quickly a service provider should resolve problems a customer may experience. It’s essentially a specific timeframe outlined in the agreement for getting the service back up and running after an incident occurs. Here’s a breakdown of an incident resolution SLA:

• Focus. It concentrates on how long it takes for the telecom company to fix an issue impacting their service, like an internet outage or dropped calls.
• Timeframes. The SLA will define different resolution timeframes based on the severity of the incident’s impact. Critical issues affecting many users might have a shorter resolution SLA (e.g., 4 hours) compared to a less disruptive incident impacting a single user (e.g., 24 hours).
• Not all-encompassing. It’s important to note that the resolution SLA typically starts after fibre optic fault detection. Indeed, the SLA might outline a separate timeframe for how long it takes the provider to acknowledge and diagnose the issue (incident response SLA).

Securing a strong incident resolution service SLA is even more important when venturing into emerging markets. This is because telecom infrastructure in these regions is often developing, so outages, glitches and slow response times are more frequent. A well-defined incident resolution SLA acts as a safety net for your business, clarifying what constitutes acceptable service and what happens if those standards aren’t met.

Setting realistic expectations is key. A strong SLA acknowledges that occasional hiccups are possible but assures the provider is committed to resolving them quickly. This helps manage expectations and fosters trust, which is essential when entering a new market.

Furthermore, emerging markets often lack the robust legal frameworks in developed regions. As a formal and legally binding document, an SLA provides a stronger foundation for resolving disputes or seeking compensation for service failures. This becomes even more crucial when minor outages can significantly impact your business. A well-defined SLA should categorise incidents based on severity, with stricter timeframes for fixing critical issues that could cripple your operations.

Optimising an incident resolution SLA for emerging markets

The SLA should be further customised to truly excel in fibre optic fault detection in emerging markets. This can be achieved through proactive collaboration with local government, planning authorities, and construction companies. By staying informed about upcoming roadworks or projects that might affect the fibre network, the provider can take preventative measures like rerouting cables or implementing protective measures. This significantly reduces the impact of fibre cuts, minimising downtime for your business.

The SLA should also account for the vast geographical reach of your operations in emerging markets. Rapid response teams equipped with the necessary tools and training become crucial for swiftly addressing fibre cuts. For example, smart collaboration tools with AI-enabled support (chatbot, dispatch route optimisation, etc.) can help the support team fix issues and answer customer complaints. Meanwhile, geographic information system (GIS) mapping further streamlines this process by enabling faster location identification and deployment of these teams.

Implementing AI-powered systems in the back office can further enhance these SLA customisation strategies, enabling service providers to monitor compliance using automated tools. For example, they can conduct regular audits, review performance reports, gather customer feedback, and publish regular updates using AI to analyse and compile reports efficiently.

In the field, providers can build solutions that automate the entire technician deployment workflow, encompassing everything from call centre and chatbot interactions and technician dispatch to managing work orders, task completion and reporting – all under the control of a single, intelligent system. Such systems have significantly improved response times and overall efficiency, especially in managing large and geographically dispersed teams.

Building a strong FTTx foundation in emerging markets

The FTTx revolution is rapidly transforming landscapes across the globe, with emerging markets offering vast growth potential. However, navigating these new frontiers requires overcoming unique challenges – from building entirely new networks to managing geographically dispersed operations.

By prioritising a well-crafted fibre optic fault detection system that combines proactive and reactive strategies, telecom companies can ensure optimal network performance and meet critical SLAs. Only then can this opportunity-rich landscape be fully leveraged.

At Outvise, our network of specialised telecom consultants can help you develop a comprehensive approach to network management and fibre optic fault detection. Our consultants are well-versed in traditional telecom network management and possess deep knowledge of how AI and ML can be leveraged to optimise FTTx operations in emerging markets. 

Don’t let the challenges of emerging markets hinder your FTTx ambitions. Together, we can craft a customised strategy that leverages cutting-edge AI and ML capabilities, ensuring a smooth and successful FTTx deployment. This paves the way for reliable and high-performance fibre broadband experiences for your customers, no matter where they are. 

Contact Outvise today and connect with our network of telecom specialists.