Application of Planning Tools

Assistance for development of broadband services with application of planning tools was provided to the operator SOTELMA of Mali. Assistance consisted in collection of the necessary data, preparation of the planning tools, running of different studies and presenting of the obtained results.

The necessary for the broadband services planning data were collected in advance and planning tools were prepared to run for the Bamako metropolitan area. Rest of the assistance was performed in Bamako, Mali, where collected data were discussed again with the local experts and completed with additional data, particularly from the billing information system of the company, which gave possibility for very precise definition of customer categories and subscribers distribution.

In all 12 separate studies were performed with the Fixed Access Planning Tool: on the quantity of the BB services market in Bamako, different possible pricing policies, technical solution with ADSL technology, overlay BB access network with WiMAX technology, economic analysis of the revenues and costs.

Studies of an overlay BB WiMAX access network for Bamako, concerning coverage and interferences, were also performed using the Radio Access Planning tool.

All obtained results were carefully analyzed, presented in several meetings to different groups of the SOTELMA planning teams and finally edited in a complete study report.