ADVA launches AI-powered service for monitoring of satellite-based timing

The unique solution provides communication service providers (CSPs) and other operators of critical infrastructure with real-time insight into signal quality at their GNSS satellite receivers. With the ADVA SatAware™ solution, operators can easily identify any physical objects blocking GNSS signals and resolve issues before they impact the synchronization network. The non-intrusive, cost-effective solution is specifically designed to meet the needs of major CSPs and enable the robust timing needed for 5G connectivity. It will also prove invaluable in a wide range of time-sensitive industries from utilities to financial networks.

“Changes in the environment, such as newly built or modified buildings or trees growing, can have a serious impact on GNSS-based timing. Yet the specific physical causes of interference can often be difficult to detect and even harder to predict. With SatAware™, maintenance teams can instantly react to these issues – or even preempt them – well before they affect network performance,” said Nir Laufer, senior director, product line management, Oscilloquartz, ADVA. “The great thing about SatAware™ is that you don’t need to be a timing expert. This solution can provide a daily report for each site with clear findings and recommendations. This gives network operators everything they need to adapt or reposition new antennas for optimal GNSS reception and take immediate action to prevent any problems.”

The ADVA SatAware™ service offers unrivalled insight into the health of all GNSS-based timing in the synchronization network. The solution features a lightweight data collection engine deployed at GNSS receiver sites that securely shares information on all standard satellite receivers with the SatAware™ data pool. Using intelligent algorithms, the ADVA-hosted AI engine continuously analyzes the condition of each antenna. It provides up-to-the-minute information on sky-view plots, carrier-to-noise ratios and all trouble indicators. With SatAware™, network operators can easily visualize and evaluate GNSS reception by building a complete picture of signal strength for each individual satellite without the need for dedicated hardware or software at the GNSS receiver site.

“As the 5G era unfolds, accurate, robust network synchronization is becoming more and more essential for a wide range of applications. That’s why our SatAware™ offers so much value. Powered by machine learning and the widest pool of anonymized satellite data, it offers unprecedented assurance and optimization for GNSS-based timing,” commented Odd Sandbekkhaug, senior director, service innovation, ADVA. “Our unique hosted analytics solution completely removes the challenge of gathering and understanding a complex set of measurement data. With a monthly or annual subscription, CSPs can access a clear picture of their satellite sync network at any time and carry out predictive maintenance as soon as it’s needed. What’s more, SatAware™ just keeps getting better as more training data improves the algorithm’s ability to predict problems before services are affected.”