Huawei today walked away with the COVID-19 Response Award at AfricaCom.
The COVID-19 Response Award recognises organisations and initiatives that have successfully deployed technology solutions in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Huawei developed the AUTIN solution for network O&M, using new technologies such as blockchain, grid-based transformation and intelligentization of operations to enable the decentralization of Network Management (Portable NOC) in times of COVID-19 pandemic.
About 100 million mobile subscribers in Nigeria – the most populous country in Africa – are served by 4 main operators that together combine around 30,000 sites nationwide.
Maintaining these large infrastructures requires hundreds of field technicians and a 24/7 strenuous monitoring to prevent mobile users from communication shortages, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Lockdown and mobility restrictions due to epidemic imposed additional challenges to Operators, such as increased traffic and reduced workers at the Network Operation Center.
To address these challenges, Huawei developed the AUTIN Operation that promotes the decentralization of network management by empowering field technicians with digitized tools to proactively monitor network quality indicators and respond to any degradation before subscribers get affected.
It not only provides a contingency for Operators’ NOCs but expands the network monitoring capability with the grid-based operation.
A cloud-based big data digital platform is at the heart of this solution, leveraging on technologies such as machine-learning/AI, prediction algorithms and knowledge-based intelligent rules.
A monetary incentive mechanism linked to network quality indicators motivates the field workers to embrace this mindset change.
Finally, an intelligent command center – ‘Magnifier in the Sky’ – provides real-time visibility of network status, staff’s geolocation and incidents resolution tracking.
