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Automating the telecom business
Eastern European Wireless Communications. V6, N5 Apil/May 2004
In 1998, Caspian American Telecommunications, LLC (CATEL) constructed a mesh network combining fixed-line technology with a first generation CDMA cellular network based on Qualcomm infrastructure. By the end of 2002, the operator had upgraded the wireless portion of its network using CDMA 2000 1x infrastructure supplied by Huawei Technologies. In 2003, CATEL then launched 3G cellular services in Baku, Sumgait, and the entire Absheron Peninsula under a phased rollout that commenced early that year.
Now, with more than 13 000 customers, CATEL is anticipating a further 20 000 CDMA 3G customers by the end of the year, and plans to continue expanding its infrastructure and provide service for the rest of the population in other geographic locations. Indeed, the company’s president, Derya Yavalar, confirms that feasibility studies are already underway to this end.
The latest development on the CATEL network is the installation of a Convergent Billing Operation System (CBOSS), mediation device (CBOSSmd), automatic customer care (CBOSSacc) and traffic engineering (CBOSSte) from CBOSS which will be completed by June.
According to Yavalar, the new convergent billing system offers a number of benefits in terms of speed and efficiency, as well as the new features it will support. For example, it will enable the operator to continue offering billing services in Azeri and English, but with the added capability of providing them also in Russian. The system supports itemizing and metering of calls and incorporates customized IT features for automation of a number, customer billing and operations functions.
The CBOSS system, part of the company’s product suite, is configured for 50 000 subscribers and is being deployed on a Sun Microsystems and Hewlett-Packard hardware platform.
The solution supports: flexible tariff models; complete customer care circle; billing and ‘Hot’ call rating; automated settlements with subscribers and financial control; inventory procedures and sales automation; partnership management (dealers, service providers and roaming partners); reporting system – providing aggregate and itemized information on all the branches of telecom activities; and real-time mediation.
As part of the contract, CATEL specialists have attended a training course at CBOSS’ facilities in Moscow covering the functionalities and capabilities of the solutions being installed.
This is CBOSS’ second contract in Azerbaijan, having deployed its CBOSSsms short messaging solution for Azercell Telecom in 2001.
