CAMBRIDGE, Mass., April 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Self-organizing network (SON) technology is emerging as a critical enabler for effective deployment of 4G mobile networks, potentially offering up to 40 percent opex savings for mobile broadband operators and making a much stronger case for long-term 4G service profitability, according to the latest report from the Heavy Reading 4G/LTE Insider, a paid research service of Heavy Reading (www.heavyreading.com).

SON: A Paradigm Shift in 4G Network Operations identifies and analyzes key issues driving the SON market. It discusses SON market drivers, architecture debates, challenges and the business case for SON deployment, among other issues. Finally, the report profiles 10 leading developers and providers of SON technology.

For a list of companies analyzed in this report, http://img.lightreading.com/uni/pdf/4gltei0411_companies.pdf

"SON is generating hype as a key enabling technology for the next generation of mobile networks and, in particular, for LTE," says Claus Hetting, research analyst with Heavy Reading 4G/LTE Insider and author of the report. "As mobile network complexity increases, SON simplifies everything from network deployment to the complex processes of network planning, optimization and maintenance, enabling operators to cut back on capex and opex."

SON is expected to be critical for the success of LTE, Hetting says. "In the long term, if SON development proceeds as expected, network opex savings for mobile broadband operators may reach as much as 40 percent," he says. "Capex reductions arise from reductions in network rollout costs. More complex business modeling may also reveal SON benefits from delays in investments into radio network capacity and reductions in churn."

Key findings of SON: A Paradigm Shift in 4G Network Operations include:

• SON is driven by fierce pressure on operators to reduce opex in the face of growing network complexity.
• Many believe using SON is necessary for LTE femtocell/picocell and multi-standard network deployment.
• SON enables mobile broadband operators to self-configure, self-optimize and self-heal LTE networks.
• SON faces significant challenges in interoperability, standardization, and use case complexity.
• Major LTE radio network vendors are in control of the SON marketplace.
• SON could reduce network opex for mobile broadband operators by as much as 40 percent in the long term.
• All major infrastructure network vendors offer plug-and-play SON features for faster LTE deployment and automatic neighbor relations for initial planning.

SON: A Paradigm Shift in 4G Network Operations is available as part of an annual single-user subscription (6 issues per year) to Heavy Reading 4G/LTE Insider, priced at $1,595. Individual reports are available for $900 (single-user license).

To subscribe, or for more information, please visit: www.heavyreading.com/4glte. For more information on all Insider services, please visit www.heavyreading.com/research.

To request a free executive summary of the report, or for details on multi-user licensing options, please contact:

Jeff Claudino
Director of Sales
Insider Research Services
619-229-9940
claudino@lightreading.com

Press/analyst contact:
Jennifer Baker
Marketing Director, Light Reading Communications Network
617-871-1910
jbaker@lightreading.com

About Heavy Reading (www.heavyreading.com)

Heavy Reading is an independent market research organization offering quantitative analysis of telecom technology to carriers, service providers, and vendors. Our remit is to provide the comprehensive competitive analysis needed today for the deployment of profitable networks based on next-generation hardware and software. This information is compiled via exhaustive surveys of both vendors' products and service-provider decision makers.

About Light Reading Communications Network (www.lightreading.com)

Founded in 2000, the Light Reading Communications Network is the world's leading research-led integrated media company serving the global communications market. Lightreading.com is the ultimate source for technological and financial analysis of the communications industry, leading the media sector in terms of traffic, content, and reputation. Light Reading's research arms, Heavy Reading and Pyramid Research, provide the most comprehensive communications research, market data, and technology analysis in close to 100 markets around the world. Light Reading produces nearly 20 targeted communications events including TelcoTV, and TelcoTV Asia, Ethernet Expo New York and Ethernet Europe, and The Tower Summit @ CTIA, as well as focused one-day events tailored for cable, mobile, and wireline executives in the US, Europe, India, and China. Light Reading was acquired by United Business Media in August 2005 and operates as a unit of TechWeb.

SOURCE Heavy Reading