Network planning under demand uncertainty with robust optimization

The planning of a communication network inevitably depends on the quality of both the planning tool and the demand forecast used. In this article, we show by example how the emerging area of robust optimization can advance the network planning by a more accurate mathematical description of the demand uncertainty. After a general introduction of the concept and its application to a basic network design problem, we present two applications: multi-layer and mixed-line-rate network design. We conclude with a discussion of extensions of the robustness concept to increase the accuracy of handling uncertainties.