All IP! The lingua franca" in Deutsche Telekom‘s network

Almost unnoticed, Deutsche Telekom has completed one of its biggest projects in recent years: The conversion of the network to the Internet Protocol - IP for short. This means that our network speaks one language. An innovation that comes along rather quietly. But it benefits many.

Today, moving a DT connection can go like this: You take your router out of the phone socket. You move into your new apartment. And - as soon as the connection move is stored in the system - you plug it back in. Or even a new router. The device logs on automatically. It takes over all the data from the old connection - including the WLAN settings. And after a few minutes, you're back online. With all the devices you had registered in your old home network. It's so easy. All thanks to IP.

The conversion of our network to the Internet Protocol is - without exaggeration - groundbreaking. Our technicians have taken millions of connections into their hands, one by one, so to speak. During ongoing operations! We transport data, including voice, faster and more efficiently via the Broadband Network Gateway (BNG). Old network elements that slowed down data transport and were susceptible to faults have been removed from the network. These platforms used to consume 10 gigawatt-hours per quarter. And throughout the entire upgrade, our fixed-network and mobile roll-out continued as normal.

Nevertheless, this network innovation did not necessarily create a furor. But Woody Allen already knew:

"You're only really innovative when something has gone wrong."

Because with the changeover to the Internet Protocol, many of our customers also had to change: Many old, analog devices do not work with the new technology or only after installing additional devices. Not everyone was enthusiastic about this - let's call it - "modernization compulsion". And so our innovation also encountered what many innovations encounter, which do not create something completely new, but rather replace what already exists: Misgivings, rejection and resistance.

Three horizons

The IP changeover is a good example of the "three horizons" that management must always keep in mind. The next quarter. The medium-term success. And the long-term development of the company. This third horizon is the most difficult. Firstly, because in everyday life you often have enough to do to keep an eye on the first two horizons. And first and foremost, because some things that are important for the third horizon have disadvantages when viewed from the first horizon: Investment costs, complexities from temporarily running parallel structures, etc. But at the end of the day, it is precisely these decisions that make a company successful in the long term and benefit customers.

One advantage for Deutsche Telekom was its presence in various markets. The first countries in which we converted the network to IP were the Slovak Republic and the Republic of Northern Macedonia. The experience there was helpful for Germany.

So what is IP capable of?

1. More bandwidth, even in rural areas. Keyword: hybrid. In places where, unfortunately, there are still no high-speed lines, customers now have the chance to get broadband as a combination of fixed-network and mobile communications. The prerequisite for this product was the IP switchover. It is only now that fixed-network and mobile communications speak the same language and that convergent products are possible at all.
2. This also brings benefits for our business customers. The common transmission standard enables cloud-based applications to organize communication in the office, for example. The mobile network can be used as a gateway to the cloud to link the benefits consisting of connection, telephone tariff and Internet. The telephone system from the cloud allows mobile extensions as with a telephone system in the fixed network.
3. Another advantage: our network is now partially automated. And that saves valuable time, because partial automation helps to maintain physical distance: For routine activities, field service is now only required in emergencies. For example, our customers can commission their broadband connection themselves by connecting the router to the TAE socket (telecommunications connection unit) and the power grid. Thanks to remote activation, the installation data is automatically transmitted to the router and customers can go online. See the example of my friend. 
4. In addition, sporadic fluctuations in bandwidth on IP connections are measured automatically and the bandwidth is optimized so that customers do not experience disconnections. This is done via automated remote intervention using the so-called "ASSIA tool". This tool is a software application for optimum operational control of broadband connections.
5. And last but not least, in the event of network faults, the experts in the back office can use remote diagnosis via the Internet protocol to resolve stability problems or outages, in some cases without having to call out in the field. If civil engineering work is required to rectify a cable fault, only the actual defective meters of cable need to be uncovered - thanks to precise measurement - in order to replace the damaged section. The repair work can be completed more quickly this way. Our almost 3,000 in-house service employees work hand in hand with the 6,000 service technicians in the field to achieve this. Routine work is automated thanks to IP and BNG conversion, and field service staff can use their time more efficiently to deal with more complex customer issues.

Our network is also future-proof thanks to the IP migration. This was demonstrated during the Corona crisis. Because Telekom passed the stress test. Our digital lifelines kept people in our country in constant and secure contact during the lockdown. With more than 35 million broadband lines and our stable network, our customers - in the city and in the country - will be able to work, learn, shop or stream from home in the future.

Perhaps it is the fate of true innovations that their benefits rarely come to light. From a rational perspective, the IP switchover is nothing less than a forward-looking step.