Knowing that network efficiency and service quality will be key differentiators in the new arena of wireless competition, and having cut its teeth on the fast-growing digital systems in Europe and Asia, Metrica Inc. now is introducing its network performance system in the United States.
Metrica/NPR is a performance monitoring system that collects statistics-typically every 15 minutes-from network switches and base station controllers, the company said. The data is used to provide daily, weekly or monthly reports on a wide range of network operating parameters, including call attempts, cell traffic, dropped calls, completed calls and handover performance.
Metrica said a high performance relational database server is the heart of the system. Interfacing with the source of network data, the system captures and holds the performance measurements streaming from the network and then provides fast and efficient access to the data for reporting and analysis.
The system is used by several wireless carriers in Europe and the company just signed a contract to supply Metrica/NPR to Total Access Communication System in Thailand.
“Coming on the heels of new business with Celcom and Binariang (in Malaysia) and Motorola Inc. (in China), our success with TAC highlights our growth in the Asia/Pacific region as well as underlining our clear leadership in the (Global System for Mobile communications) and (personal communications services) markets,” said Metrica’s Marketing Director Michael Cole.
TAC operates a GSM system using the DCS 1800 standard. Metrica said this is the fourth DCS 1800 personal communications network to use Metrica/NPR. The others are E-Plus in Germany, and Hutchison Microtel and Mercury One 2 One in the United Kingdom.
The company now wants to leverage that experience to introduce its system into the United States, a move timed to the awarding of PCS licenses by the Federal Communications Commission.
“New operators and rapidly expanding operators are the most interested in performance systems,” noted Roger McPeek, director of U.S. operations.
The company said that PCS carriers can enhance quality of service and achieve cost-effective and efficient build-out of new network elements using the information provided by Metrica/NPR.
However, the company is not limiting its system to new players.
“Activity in the new PCS market will spur competitive growth and deployment of new technology by companies currently holding cellular and wireline licenses: these operators will need to increase cost-efficiency and service to remain competitive,” predicted Meg Carley, Metrica’s manager of U.S. marketing.
