Why you can't A/B test a cell tower.
Author:Sambath Kumar Natarajan(Connect)Version:1.0
Agile vs Hybrid in Telecom
Silicon Valley startups often criticize Telecoms for being slow. But Social Media Giants doesn't have to trench fiber across the Atlantic.
The Physical Constraint
In pure software (SaaS), the cost of deployment is zero. In Telecom (OSS/BSS), code drives hardware.
- Scenario: You want to update the router firmware.
- Agile View: "Deploy it, if it fails, roll back."
- Reality: If the update bricks the router, you have to send a truck to a tower in rural Nebraska. Truck rolls cost $1,000.
The Hybrid Survival Model
Telecoms use Agile for the BSS (Billing, Customer App) and Waterfall/V-Model for the OSS (Network implementation).
Hybrid Strategy
| Factor | Weight | Score | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Safety Critical | 5 | 5 | If 911 goes down, people die. |
| Reversibility | 5 | 1 | Hardware changes are hard to reverse. |
| User Interface | 2 | 5 | The mobile app should update weekly. |
The "Digital Transformation" Lie
Consultants sell "Full Agile Transformation" to Telcos. It always fails. The correct approach is Bimodal IT:
- Mode 1 (Network Core): Stable, slow, rigorous.
- Mode 2 (Digital Overlay): Fast, experimental. The failure happens when you try to run Mode 1 like Mode 2.