Global mobile network optimization and self-organizing network (SON) market is set to grow 13 percent in 2013, said Infonetics Research.
The growth of SON market and mobile network optimization in 2012 was 17 percent.
The growth drivers in 2013 will be deployments at AT&T and KDDI and many smaller deals.
In a large majority of cases, 3G network optimization, rather than LTE alone, is a key driver for using SON.
Over 80 percent of mobile operators worldwide are using SON for 3G/HSPA/HSPA+ optimization, said Infonetics Research.
The report says centralized SON (C-SON) is predominant in optimization schemes.
The SON segment of the market tripled in 2012. Infonetics forecasts optimization and SON software to grow to nearly $5 billion by 2017.
Stephane Teral, principal analyst for mobile infrastructure and carrier economics at Infonetics Research, said SON will continue to evolve, offering more and more advanced features. So deploying SON for 3G optimization – with the zero-touch network as the long-term goal – is something that’s natural and logical for many operators.
