About the Client
A leading telecom operator in Germany
Challenge
A prominent telecom operator in Germany manages one of the continent’s most advanced lab ecosystems. With over five labs distributed across multiple cities, these facilities are critical for testing and validating multi-vendor, multi-technology solutions—including 4G, 5G Standalone, IMS, and VoLTE—prior to deployment in live networks.
As the lab environment grew in complexity, several operational challenges emerged:
- Geographically Dispersed Infrastructure: Wireless components located across cities made centralized management difficult.
- Frequent Vendor Updates: Continuous software releases and patches required rapid validation across technologies.
- Multi-Vendor Expertise: The lab demanded deep technical knowledge across diverse platforms and vendors.
- Operational Overload: Configuration changes, incident resolution, and documentation placed increasing demands on internal teams.
Driven by a commitment to innovation and service excellence, the operator aimed to enhance lab efficiency to accelerate network rollouts and maintain high standards of quality.
Requirements
Enable centralized management of geographically distributed lab infrastructure
Streamline validation workflows for frequent vendor updates
Support multi-vendor, multi-technology testing with scalable expertise
Automate routine operations like configuration, incident handling, and documentation
Improve lab efficiency to accelerate time-to-market for network deployments
Solution
To address these challenges, the telecom operator engaged with TCTS, leveraging their deep telecom expertise to streamline lab operations and enhance service delivery.
Comprehensive Managed Services
TCTS took ownership of key operational areas including fault management, performance monitoring, configuration oversight, and test bed administration. This ensured consistent lab performance and minimized downtime across the distributed infrastructure.
Upgrade Management
The team executed timely software and patch upgrades for essential core nodes such as AGW, CSGNU, CSGNC, EPG, EPDG, vDRA, vDEA, vSTP, and 5GC SA. These upgrades were crucial for maintaining compatibility, security, and performance across evolving network technologies.
Configuration Enhancements
TCTS supported the implementation of new configurations including APN setups, feature activations, policy updates, and seamless 4G–5G handovers. These changes enabled the operator to adapt quickly to market demands and technology shifts.
Incident Troubleshooting
The team provided rapid and effective troubleshooting for issues arising in lab core nodes. Their proactive approach ensured minimal disruption and fast resolution of incidents, maintaining the integrity of testing environments.
Documentation Excellence
For every activity and incident, TCTS prepared detailed Root Cause Analysis reports and Method of Procedure (MoP) documents. This ensured transparency, repeatability, and compliance with internal and external standards.
Automated Testing
Post-activity validations and troubleshooting steps were supported by end-to-end automated testing. This enhanced accuracy, reduced manual effort, and accelerated the validation cycle.
Results
100%
SLA compliance
30%
Reduction in OpEx
Zero errors
In change requests, service requests, and incident resolutions
With stronger collaboration through joint testing frameworks and a shared accountability, the telecom operator not only overcame operational complexities but also set a new benchmark for lab excellence in the industry. With a future-ready lab environment, they are now better positioned to accelerate innovation, scale network rollouts, and deliver superior experiences to their customers.
