Dealing with RAN (radio access network) congestion is an urgent issue for mobile operators as they deliver more data and video services to their customers and, increasingly, there are a number of ways they can tackle that challenge, according to Heavy Reading Chief Analyst Graham Finnie.

The growth of 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) networks is quickly increasing RAN congestion worries for mobile operators. It isn't simply that there is more data being carried on the networks; applications like video streaming mean that just a few users can now clog a cell.

As Finnie explains in the short video interview below, operators are looking afresh at how to manage their network capacity and are combining existing Service Provider Information Technology (SPIT) technologies, such as probes, with the latest policy control capabilities, for example.

They're also looking at specific technologies to tackle the problem, with Finnie identifying an Alcatel-Lucent platform as one that is attracting the attention of the operators.

And it's not just about cost control these days, notes the analyst -- enhancing customer quality of experience (QoE) is becoming of strategic importance to operators and is now an "important goal" for mobile operators. (See Controlling RAN Congestion: The Experience Is Everything.)

Check out what Finnie has to say about the matter in the following video:

— Ray Le Maistre, International Managing Editor, Light Reading

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