Self-organizing networks in 3GPP: standardization and future trends

Self-Organizing Networks (SON) is a common term for mobile network automation, critical to the cost-efficient deployment, operation and maintenance of mobile networks. This article provides an overview of SON standardization in 3GPP, including both existing and planned functionalities. It also provides an operator perspective on the relevance and use of 3GPP SON functionalities at different stages of the network design-and-operations cycle. In the long-term it is envisaged that automation will become a natural component in network operations, although the success of SON will depend on automation´s benefits in relation to its cost.