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Annie Turner
Case study: Standards pull national network out-of-the box for Myanmar
Ooredoo is one of the fastest growing and most profitable operators in the Middle East, with operations in 17 countries. In mid 2013, it was selected to build and run a mobile network in Myanmar. Myanmar is a south-east Asian country, which is largely rural and densely forested, with a population of approximately 50 million. It is one of the world’s last ‘green field’ countries from a communications point of view. Studies by McKinsey and others suggest that the roll out of mobile networks could create more than 90,000 new jobs and help to sustain annual economic growth of more than 8 percent.
Myanmar is one of the world’s last ‘green field’ countries from a communications point of view
The objective was to launch ahead of the competition (licenses had been granted to another mobile and two fixed-line operators) to capture market share and capitalize on early mover advantage to gain 5 million prepaid subscribers in the first year.
Defining and delivering on business needs
To achieve its business objectives, Ooredoo needed an IT solution supplier or suppliers that could help the company define its IT strategy and roll out the IT operations to support rapid service launch. The company wanted an IT solution that was a ‘telco in a box’, with components certified as being TM Forum Frameworx-conformant to support recognized best practices for managing business processes and keep customization to a minimum. Also, the solution had to be able to scale in line with Ooredoo’s ambitious projections.
Ooredoo wanted an IT solution that was a ‘telco in a box
For these reasons, Ooredoo chose Huawei as its partner to implement the end-to-end solution, although it wasn’t originally on the preferred supplier list. Huawei presented its strategic approach to building the end-to-end IT platform through understanding business objectives first and drilling down to the required solutions and supporting infrastructure, following latest industry standards and best practices. In turn, Huawei partnered with a leading software service provider to build the end-to-end IT solution as well as other vendors. The company’s NGBSS [for next generation business systems software] is a pre-integrated BSS in-a-box solution, certified by TM Forum as being conformant with the Business Process (eTOM) and Information (SID) Frameworks.
Cutting out customization
This conformance to elements of Frameworx meant that the BSS solution was implemented with almost zero customization required with the enterprise management system provided by another vendor, also aligned with Frameworx. Indeed, although this was the first time Huawei had deployed such an end-to-end, out-of-the-box solution, few changes were needed to the out-of-the box business processes. This resulted in about 30 percent less integration effort in-turn allowing for quicker delivery.
Although this was the first time Huawei had deployed such an end-to-end, out-of-the-box solution, few changes were needed to the out-of-the box business processes.
The adoption of the Information Framework was key to easy integration between systems from different vendors. The partners also referenced TM Forum’s Application Framework (TAM) to identify the correct and optimal components and systems to enable the IT in a box solution, and that was integrated to support Ooredoo’s desired services. The business processes were built using the processes within the Business Process Framework, ensuring that all the process areas were covered, without duplication or gaps. The work was based on information gathered at workshops run by Huawei, to ensure the processes were indeed end to end. Using the processes as baseline for requirement gathering and validation resulted in the requirement phase being completed in about 60 percent less time. All the other components of the solution – infrastructure, security, mediation, assurance and network – were implemented in line with industry best practices. The use of out-of-the box capabilities made it possible to get the full IT system up and running in fewer than six months for pre-paid service, for corporate and mass market. This is almost 50 percent less than the standard delivery timeline.
The use of out-of-the box capabilities made it possible to get the full IT system up and running in fewer than six months for pre-paid service, for corporate and mass market. This is almost 50 percent less than the standard delivery timeline.
Successful, historic launch
The original target for prepaid customers was revised, due to the level of demand, which Ooredoo achieved in the first three months after launch, on August 16, 2014. This marked the first time Myanmar’s people had access to affordable communications services, as well the first time in the country’s history that access to the internet via a mobile device has been widely available.
This marked the first time Myanmar’s people had access to affordable communications services, as well the first time in the country’s history that access to the internet via a mobile device has been widely available.
Ooredoo claims a world first by rolling-out a new network using UMTS900 technology, “which offers customers in Myanmar a world-class 3G service with crystal clear voice calls and fast internet, as well as providing a solid foundation for a future move into 4G services”, according to the company. Ooredoo initially launched in Myanmar’s three major cities and surrounding regions, covering 68 cities and towns and 7.8 million people. The network was rapidly extended to include 25 million more people by the end of the year. With Top-Up vouchers are available from $1, and for sale at 30,000 outlets across the country in addition to the 6,500 dealers selling SIM cards, the company is focused on ensuring accessibility for all. As part of Ooredoo’s commitment to supplying Myanmar’s diverse population with the life-enhancing capabilities of smartphones, it is also offering affordable handsets through launch promotions, bundling devices and call minutes, SMS and data at an affordable price.
Next steps
Ooredoo is working to improve its offers and value propositions, not only for the retail customers, but also for businesses. The company plans to launch complex business-to-business services with stringent service level commitments. Recognizing that Internet access is a key element for economic growth in any country, Ooredoo is committed to providing affordable access for everyone, and is constantly working to reduce its cost and improve services by leveraging its IT capabilities to the maximum.
