UK : Independent network planning and optimisation consultancy, AIRCOM International, has been selected by O2 in the UK to supply ASSET, the radio network planning and optimisation tool, from AIRCOM's ENTERPRISE tool suite.

AIRCOM was selected after winning O2's highly competitive RFQ, which was issued to the industry’s leading radio planning tool vendors. O2 required a planning tool solution that was both scalable and flexible enough to support its future network growth and optimisation. AIRCOM was selected because it was able to build additional functionality into its ASSET tool to meet O2's demanding requirements.

Nigel Purdy, Head of Technology Engineering at Telefónica O2 UK said "We operate in an extremely competitive and fast changing market. Customers tell us that the quality and reliability of their mobile phone network is crucial. Having a great radio planning tool helps us deliver this quality efficiently. After a comprehensive bid process and detailed strategic cost analysis, it was obvious that AIRCOM's tools offered the best overall solution to our needs."

ASSET is currently deployed by more than 175 customers worldwide, making it the leading industry planning tool for mobile operators. It works across multiple technology mobile networks - including WiMAX, HSDPA, 2, 2.5 and 3G - and features both static and dynamic simulators. This makes it powerful enough to analyse the most complex network deployment and capacity scenarios.

Commenting on the deal, Margaret Rice-Jones, CEO at AIRCOM International said: "Signing a deal with an operator such as O2 - the largest GSM / UMTS operator in the UK - confirms ASSET's status as the world's number one network planning and optimisation tool. By deploying a comprehensive single, multi-user platform into the network, we will be able to generate sophisticated network statistics and reports to O2's engineers and ensure the radio network provides maximum quality and capacity while minimising OPEX spend."

The implementation of ASSET into the O2 network has already begun, with a scheduled completion date set for December 2008. O2 has also taken the option to purchase further licenses for ADVANTAGE, AIRCOM's automatic cell planning (ACP) tool, later in the year.