Mobility backhaul bandwidth on demand

Abstract

Aspects of the subject disclosure may include, for example, monitoring communication traffic in a communication network including a plurality of cell sites and a plurality of collector circuits over a time period, storing information about the communication traffic and information about available network resources in a database and predicting where additional capacity will be needed in the communication network at a future time, wherein the predicting is based on the information about the communication traffic. The subject disclosure may further include improving assignment of additional capacity in the communication network between the plurality of cell sites and the plurality of collector circuits based on the information about available network resources and communicating with network switches to assign the additional capacity within the communication network and initiate communication in the communication network. Other embodiments are disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 monitoring, by a processing system including a processor, communication traffic in a communication network over a time period, wherein the communication network includes a plurality of cell sites of a mobility network operator and a plurality of collector circuits, the plurality of collector circuits providing data communication between the communication network and a core network of the mobility network operator;   predicting, by the processing system, where additional capacity will be needed in the communication network at a future time, wherein the predicting is based on the communication traffic;   assigning, by the processing system to the communication network, two or more available connections between the plurality of cell sites and the plurality of collector circuits to assign additional capacity in the communication network, the two or more available connections including at least one leased third-party connection and at least one owned connection of the mobility network operator; and   communicating, by the processing system, with network switches to assign the additional capacity within the communication network and initiate communication in the communication network.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the monitoring communication traffic comprises:
 collecting, by the processing system, usage data for one or more components of the communication network.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the collecting usage data comprises:
 collecting, by the processing system, information about volume and duration of calls, handover frequency and data access on the communication network; and   collecting, by the processing system, information about call failures or information about occurrence of network unavailability.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 assigning, by the processing system, additional capacity in the communication network based on a current capacity of the communication network and current and anticipated demand for capacity of the communication network.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 assigning, by the processing system, additional capacity in the communication network based on relative availability of added capacity and relative cost of added capacity.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the processing system, a plurality of constraints, the plurality of constraints including information about the at least one leased third-party connection, and wherein the assigning additional capacity comprises optimizing a selection of components of the communication network and interconnection of the components of the communication network according to the plurality of constraints;   providing, by the processing system, information about the selection of components of the communication network and interconnection of the components of the communication network to a user interface for review by a user;   subsequently, receiving, by the processing system, from the user, g a modification by the user to at least one of the plurality of constraints;   optimizing, by the processing system, the selection of the components of the communication network and interconnection of the components of the communication network based on the modification to the at least one of the plurality of constraints; and   providing, by the processing system, updated information about the selection of components of the communication network and interconnection of the components of the communication network to the user interface for review by the user.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising:
 jointly optimizing, by the processing system, the plurality of constraints for a subset of collector circuits of the plurality of collector circuits.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , the operations further comprise:
 leasing, by the processing system, at least one new leased third-party connection; and   assigning, by the processing system to the communication network, the at least one new leased third-party connection between the plurality of cell sites and the plurality of collector circuits.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the processing system, a request for a new design, wherein the receiving a request comprises receiving information about an existing backhaul network and receiving information about where in the communication network the additional capacity will be needed.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the receiving information about an existing backhaul network comprises receiving, by the processing system, information specifying how much capacity of the existing backhaul network is currently in use and how much capacity of the existing backhaul network comprises spare capacity. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 developing, by the processing system, a new design for the communication network; and   providing, by the processing system, the new design for the communication network to a user interface for review by a user.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the processing system, approval of the new design from the user; and   initiating, by the processing system, provisioning of the new design in the communication network.   
     
     
         13 . A device, comprising:
 a processing system including a processor; and   a memory that stores executable instructions that, when executed by the processing system, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:   receiving usage data for a communications network, wherein the communications network comprises a plurality of integrated access devices in data communication with one or more radio access networks of a mobile network operator and a backhaul network in data communication over a plurality of collector circuits with a core network of the mobile network operator, wherein the usage data includes information about current data usage in connections of the communication network;   determining current capacity data for the backhaul network, the current capacity data including information about available capacity in the connections of the communications network;   determining, based on the usage data and the current capacity data, requirements for new capacity in the backhaul network;   identifying a plurality of constraints for the backhaul network, the plurality of constraints including information about leased third-party connections available to the communications network;   increasing capacity in the backhaul network to satisfy the plurality of constraints, wherein the increasing capacity in the backhaul network comprises selecting a new combination of owned connections operated by the mobile network operator and leased third-party connections operated by others than the mobile network operator; and   provisioning the new capacity in the backhaul network, wherein the provisioning comprises designating connections and equipment of the backhaul network.   
     
     
         14 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the receiving usage data for a communications network comprises:
 receiving information about connections of the communication network including a combination of owned connections operated by the mobile network operator and leased third-party connections operated by others than the mobile network operator.   
     
     
         15 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving network relevant information including information about current network topology and interworking for the backhaul network;   receiving information about network locations where an increase in backhaul capacity is required; and   receiving information about an increase amount of backhaul capacity required.   
     
     
         16 . The device of  claim 13 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 providing, to a user interface device accessible by a user, design review information for the new capacity in the backhaul network; and   receiving, from the user, approval of the new capacity in the backhaul network.   
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory, machine-readable medium, comprising executable instructions that, when executed by a processing system including a processor, facilitate performance of operations, the operations comprising:
 receiving usage data about network traffic in a communications network, wherein the communications network comprises a cellular communication network operated by a mobile network operator, a core network of the mobile network operator, and a backhaul network communicatively coupled with the cellular communication network and the core network;   receiving available capacity data for the backhaul network including information about available capacity in owned connections of the mobile network operator and information about available capacity in leased third-party connections;   receiving information defining a plurality of constraints, including information about communication capacity in the leased third-party connections;   increasing capacity in the backhaul network according to the plurality of constraints and the usage data, wherein the increasing capacity comprises selecting a new combination of owned connections operated by the mobile network operator and leased third-party connections according to a new design for the backhaul network;   communicating information about the new design for the backhaul network to the leased third-party connections; and   initiating communication between the cellular communication network, the core network and the backhaul network according to the new design for the backhaul network.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the receiving usage data comprises receiving information about volume and duration of voice calls in the cellular communication network, frequency of handovers among base stations in the cellular communication network and data call access in the cellular communication network. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the receiving usage data comprises receiving call failure information or information about unavailability of the cellular communication network. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory, machine-readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 providing, to a user interface device, design review information about the new design for access by a user; and   receiving, from the user interface device, approval of the new design.