Jazz is not only the number one MNO in Pakistan by network size and customer base. In fact, the MNO has recently been awarded as the fastest network in the country and is continuously striving to fiberise its LTE and Super 4G sites. In this interview, Syed Buland Iqbal, Project Manager of Fibre Deployment within the operator, shares insights into the network integration phase as well as the current fiberisation plans.
TowerXchange: Please introduce yourself and your role within Jazz.
Syed Buland Iqbal, Project Manager – Fibre Deployment, Jazz:
I am a deployment expert and currently I am involved in the fibre rollout projects within Jazz. My responsibilities include civil works, power, site analysis and also liaising with the concerned vendors once the initial assessments are complete. Currently, we are working with Huawei for the fibre node installations. Additionally, we’ve commissioned the installation of indoor cases and shelters by edotco.
Previously, I was involved in the integration project which was launched to merge the core networks of Mobilink and Warid. We analysed and merged every single bit of network and once that was successfully completed, we went on to fiberise LTE sites.
In the integration project, we had to merge the equipment of the two MNOs and swap previously installed equipment with the new one. That was a challenging project and I recall the crucial phase of switching networks overnight to ensure that our customers didn’t experience too many issues during the actual transition.
TowerXchange: What else can you tell us about the network integration project and what has been achieved so far?
Syed Buland Iqbal, Project Manager – Fibre Deployment, Jazz:
I am proud of what we’ve achieved with the integration of the two networks and of the quality of our service. Jazz has recently been awarded by Ookla with the Speediest Award for our mobile network speed in H1 2018.
The award is based on a series of tests conducted in H1 2018 with Ookla’s Speedtest® app. Jazz achieved a good Speed Score against the average of other networks, which is a great result and demonstrates how efficient our network is compared to our competitors’. Jazz doesn’t only have the largest network and customer base in Pakistan but we are constantly striving to offer our subscribers the best experience. TowerXchange: What is the status of Jazz’s fibre deployment plans?
Syed Buland Iqbal, Project Manager – Fibre Deployment, Jazz:
With regards to our fibre deployment, I am proud to say we’ve already completed 95% of the 2018 target and have deployed over 3,000km of fibre in the North region of the country.
We are currently evaluating fibre deployment plans for 2019 to cover more regions across Pakistan. At the moment we are in the bidding phase and we’ll soon announce our plans for further LTE and Super 4G fibre deployment.
We’ve been assessing the opportunity of utilising microwave instead of fibre but overall fibre seemed the best option for our requirements as it exponentially increases the traffic we can allow through each node, and offers a much better customer experience. Another great plus is that thanks to fibre we can install the nodes in a much easier and more flexible way whereas microwave requires expensive equipment and an overall greater investment. I believe that Jazz’s network expansion will go hand in hand with fibre from now on.
We’ve been assessing the opportunity of utilising microwave instead of fibre but overall fibre seemed the best option for our requirements as it exponentially increases the traffic we can allow through each node, and offers a much better customer experience
TowerXchange: Who is involved in the fibre rollout process and what are some of the challenges you encounter?
Syed Buland Iqbal, Project Manager – Fibre Deployment, Jazz:
The process that leads to fiberising a site involves several departments and teams. In the preliminary phase, the operations team assesses the power requirements for each node while the logistics team deals with the landlords to request the permission to deploy. The last aspect is actually quite complex as land owners sometimes are against fibre deployment to their sites.
Fibre rollout requires us to dig our way to the tower and this is where landlords sometimes cause issues. We often face these complaints half way through a project which causes it to stop until it’s solved. Only once every party involved gives the green light my team and I can start the actual deployment.
Our timelines are quite strict and we usually keep pushing our contractors to complete each single project on time.
TowerXchange: Can you share with the vendors reading your interview some details regarding Jazz’s procurement process?
Syed Buland Iqbal, Project Manager – Fibre Deployment, Jazz:
When it comes to the procurement process, our methods take into account the requirements of each project and the suitability of the bidders. Jazz’s technical team is in charge of verifying the suitability of each vendor. We request detailed information with regards to the bidders’ standards, past projects, track record et cetera.
At Jazz, we have strict standards and requirements and we want to ensure that everyone of our contractors is able to meet them. To do so, we often request the involvement of other departments to assess each vendor from a Capex perspective too and to ensure we select the best ones and not only the cheapest ones!
