Optimizing the investments in mobile networks and subscriber migrations for a telecommunication operator. Issue 4 (25th July 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cambier, Adrien; Chardy, Matthieu; Figueiredo, Rosa; Ouorou, Adam; Poss, Michael
• Is Part Of: Networks. Volume 77:Issue 4(2021)
• Page Start: 495
• Page End: 519
• Publication Date: 2020-07-25
• Subjects: Bass model -- capacity expansion -- investments optimization -- mixed‐integer linear programming -- OR in telecommunications -- subscriber dynamic; Network analysis (Planning) -- Periodicals; 658.4032
• DOI: 10.1002/net.21970
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0028-3045

Abstract

Abstract: We consider the context of a telecommunication company that is at the same time an infrastructure operator and a service provider. When planning its network expansion, the company can leverage over its knowledge of the subscriber dynamic to better optimize the network dimensioning, therefore avoiding unnecessary costs. In this work, the network expansion represents the deployment and/or reinforcement of several technologies (e.g., 2G, 3G, 4G), assuming that subscribers to a given technology can be served by this technology or older ones. The operator can influence subscriber dynamic by subsidies. The planning is made over a discretized time horizon while some strategic guideline requirements are required at the end of the time horizon. Following classical models, we consider that the willingness of customers for shifting to a new technology follows an S ‐shape piecewise constant function. We propose a mixed‐integer linear programming formulation, improved through several valid inequalities and a heuristic algorithm. We assess the formulation numerically on real instances.