Mastering Hybrid Networks with Preseem and Sonar
We recently co-hosted a webinar with Sonar Software, where we looked at how our integrated solutions can help optimize fiber and fixed wireless hybrid networks.
During the webinar, co-hosts Gerrit Nagelhout, CEO and co-founder of Preseem, and Thomas Crawford, Regional Sales Director at Sonar, addressed some of the key benefits hybrid network providers using the two systems can enjoy, including:
- A consolidated view of network metrics across fiber and wireless technologies
- Efficient proactive and reactive operations with streamlined tools
- Reduced training costs with a single, user-friendly platform
- Increased deployment agility for faster expansion and adaptation
Read on for a recap of the webinar, or view the recording here.
Access Network and Subscriber Management for ISPs
For those unfamiliar with Preseem, Gerrit began by explaining how the platform helps fiber, fixed wireless, and hybrid operators understand and improve the subscriber quality of experience (QoE) and increase efficiency across vendors and access technologies.
For example, operators using Preseem can provide subscribers with improved QoE and a faster-feeling internet even when the network is busy or plan speeds are maxed out. The system also benefits all teams at an ISP by providing a wealth of data and tools to:
- Find out where and why network bottlenecks are occurring
- Troubleshoot customer issues to determine if the problem is in-network or in the home
- Pinpoint areas in the network that have the capacity to add more subscribers
Checking under the hood, Gerrit also showed the three major components that make up the system. The Preseem Cloud is the home for all the data and built-in integrations that automatically retrieve information from systems like Sonar. This allows for a centralized view of your network across all vendors and subscribers, so you can access everything in one place.
Preseem Elements handle the QoE aspects of what we do, such as measuring and improving the subscriber experience, enforcing plan speeds, and mitigating any capacity issues. Finally, the Preseem Poller automatically maps the subscriber and network topology while collecting network metrics for analysis.
A Single Point of Plan Enforcement
After further explaining some of the capabilities of Preseem Elements, Gerrit looked at the benefits for hybrid networks that come with simplified provisioning across all of your access technologies and vendors.
For one, this greatly eases your integration burden. Rather than having your billing system connected directly to your ONTs and CPEs, and all of the configuration headaches that go with it, Preseem provides a single point of plan enforcement at the IP layer.
This reduces integration complexity (and cost), with no provisioning infrastructure required for each vendor and model that’s deployed in your network. It also doesn’t matter whether you have fiber, fixed wireless, cable, etc., because Preseem is access technology-agnostic. This also gives you deployment flexibility, as you’re free to add the best equipment for a given situation without being tied to one specific vendor.
As an added bonus, Preseem’s traffic shaping via active queue management (AQM) provides your subscribers with a much better experience than the basic shapers that are built into ONTs and CPEs. Congestion within the plan rate is one of the biggest causes of poor QoE, and Preseem handles this via AQM by separating bulk flows (system updates) from interactive flows (streaming, gaming) to ensure a low-latency, consistent experience.
Preseem For Your Teams
Next, Gerrit dove into how Preseem can benefit each of the teams at hybrid networks, and simplify their jobs. These include:
- Core Network Operations: QoE measurements in Preseem can uncover many causes of a poor subscriber experience, including overloaded backhauls or APs, bad bonded link configs, overloaded routers, and more. This greatly reduces troubleshooting time and also allows for proactive fixes that can prevent future support calls.
- Access Network Operations: For fixed wireless networks, you’ll be able to see which APs are delivering a poor experience, are over or under capacity, or have bad RF conditions, as well as which CPEs can be improved to free up airtime. In fiber networks, you can manage ONTs across OLTs, PONs, and vendors, and drive proactive operations with cross-vendor KPIs.
- Support: Team members can find fixed wireless or fiber subscribers easily in Preseem, and quickly see which plan they’re on and the services they’re receiving. This eliminates having to learn and log into multiple systems, saving a ton of time. They can also use easy-to-understand data and metrics to see subscriber usage and whether any issues are in-home or in the network, reducing unnecessary escalations and time to root cause.
- Sales and Marketing: By receiving accurate data on capacity, sales and marketing teams can pinpoint areas to add new subscribers and increase revenue. This empirical data eliminates any disagreements between network operations and sales & marketing about capacity issues.
Solutions for Regional Fixed Wireless and Fiber ISPs
As Thomas explained, for regional hybrid networks, there’s a variety of legacy systems in the market that are outdated, difficult to use, and expensive. This leaves operators with a complex tech stack consisting of multiple products that don’t communicate with each other. It also leaves them without a single source of truth platform that serves their end-to-end business needs.
This is where Preseem and Sonar come in—modern, easy-to-use systems that integrate with each other and make life easier for each team at an ISP. For Sonar, this means making sure that the system is easy to use for CSR and Tier 1 support, allowing them to quickly determine the source of any service degradation with non-technical tools for fast troubleshooting. Thomas also explained enhancements for Tier 2 and Network Operations teams, such as planned and unplanned outage notifications tied to specific OLTs, ONTs, or APs.
In addition, Sonar has tools for outside plant and construction teams to update build progress documentation for addresses. There are also features specific to sales and digital marketing team members, such as the ability to market to customers through each stage of build progress. Sonar also provides benefits for regulatory teams, billing and finance, field operations, and inventory, warehouse and logistics staff.
How the Preseem-Sonar Integration Helps Hybrid Networks
Thomas then took a look at the integration between Preseem and Sonar. A few of the benefits specific to fiber and hybrid network operators include:
- Tie ONTs to Subscribers Automatically: Sonar can automatically tie ONTs to subscribers based on device assignments in Preseem
- Dynamically Link Subscribers to PON Ports: Subscribers are linked to the appropriate PON port to simplify remote support and troubleshooting
- Tie Subscribers to Their OLT: Sonar links ONTs to the head-end OLT to simplify path-tracing exercises
Topics also covered by Thomas include multi-vendor networks, fiber provisioning integrations, and how the Preseem-Sonar integration solves a lot of problems for hybrid networks by being vendor-agnostic, providing simplicity for multi-vendor deployments, and allowing for easier deployment and network configuration.
Click below to watch the full webinar. Reach out to us for a demo on a live network and see how Preseem can benefit your fixed wireless, fiber, or hybrid operation.
