Tata Elxsi’s Dark NOC Could Save Millions for Network Operators

Leveraging Dark NOC leads to reduced Mean Time to Repair by up to 75%.

Transitioning from 4G to 5G could cost network operators millions of dollars.

However, Tata Elxsi has found a novel way to significantly reduce the cost through Dark NOC (Network Operations Centre). It represents a futuristic approach characterised by high levels of automation and minimal human intervention.

“Moving from 2G to 3G, 3G to 4G, and 4G to 5G is extremely expensive, costing thousands of crores. Ultimately, what are companies selling to end consumers? They are selling voice and data services,” Ramesh Ramanathan B, principal architect, network solutions & services, CTO office, Tata Elxsi told AIM.

These are essential products that are highly priced and face intense competition. As competition continues to increase, companies must focus on reducing network costs and exploring new avenues and areas for growth to remain competitive in the market.

Hence, there is a dire need to reduce costs and find new avenues of growth for telcos. According to Ramanathan, Dark NOC solves both these problems. It is a brand new concept and he has showcased the technology at popular events like Mobile World Congress, where it was well received.

“These networks will possess the ability to self-manage, self-optimise, and self-heal, reducing manual intervention and driving efficiency to unprecedented levels. Autonomous networks will leverage AI and ML to anticipate network demands, adapt to changing conditions, and deliver seamless connectivity experiences for end-users,” he said.

What Dark NOC Promises?

The industry is also transitioning from automation to autonomous, which means that it is moving towards systems which not only can operate independently, but also make decisions without constant human intervention.

Several crucial components play pivotal roles in the Dark NOC domain. At the heart of this framework lies the data lake, which serves as the central hub for Cognitive NOC Operations.

It functions as a unified repository for all types of network data-structured, semi-structured, or unstructured-encompassing categories such as Alarms, Performance Metrics, Key Performance Indicators (PM Stats/KPI), Topology/Inventory, and Configuration data.

“Through AI/ML-based analysis of historical and real-time data, the system not only identifies problems but also prescribes automated solutions for swift and accurate resolution.

“ML algorithms analyse patterns in network behaviour, enabling the system to implement preemptive measures to mitigate emerging problems,” Ramanathan said.

In addition to these key components, Dark NOC utilises Digital Twin technology and machine learning to create virtual replicas of network environments and continuously analyse data.

This enables the system to predict future issues with high accuracy and implement corrective measures in advance, thereby ensuring optimal network performance and reliability.

Delivering Value to Telcos

Tata Elxsi is already delivering these solutions to its clients through the Neuron platform. Neuron has two products: Neuron Telco Cloud and Neuron Dark NOC.

Ramanathan said that the solution has been implemented, for instance, in production with one of the largest American operators and another European operator.

“This deployment has shown significant benefits, particularly in terms of capital expenditure reductions of around 60 to 70% over a three-year period,” he added.

Leveraging Dark NOC also leads to reduced Mean Time to Repair (MTTR) by up to 75%.

Ramanathan also revealed that Tata Elxsi is involved in the rollout of the indigenous 4G network of one of APAC’s largest network operators.

“We apply this approach across the entire network, whether it pertains to infrastructure, services, or networking. Using Neuron Telco Cloud, we automate everything. For this particular customer as well, which runs a total of 35 data centres throughout India, this one-touch automation is facilitated by Neuron Telco Cloud.”

Once the 4G rollout is done, the next step is to go fully autonomous with Dark NOC.

Addressing Job Concerns

Given Dark NOC promises the ability to self-manage, self-optimise, and self-heal, reducing manual intervention, it does raise concerns about job losses.

In the US, nearly 4,000 people lost their jobs directly due to AI in May last year, according to a report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas

Ramanathan revealed that it’s not just Tata Elxsi’s customers who show apprehension but also existing employees.

“There is often apprehension among existing employees about supporting us. To address this, we’ve established an academy for reskilling. Our approach begins by assisting engineers with initial small automation tasks, followed by comprehensive reskilling efforts.

“Ramanathan believes that AI and automation will not lead to mass job displacement. However, people need to be aware that AI is a threat and people from every segment must be willing to reskill and adapt and start using AI in their daily lives.”