With European telecoms capital expenditures reaching roughly €50 billion in 2024, telco operators are facing mounting pressure to enhance operational efficiency while also reducing costs at the same time. Traditional approaches to network planning and operations are no longer sufficient to meet demanding requirements, making automation not just advantageous but essential for success.
Many telco operators are constrained by fragmented data sources and manual processes that limit their automation potential. The result is inefficient site selection, costly deployment delays, and reactive maintenance approaches that drain resources and undermine service quality. Using accurate location data as the key, telcos can begin to unlock the next generation of automation in their operations.
The automation gap
Current telecoms operations rely on disconnected data systems that prevent true automation. Site selection processes often combine outdated mapping data with time-consuming manual surveys, while network planning teams work with incomplete infrastructure information that leads to costly surprises during deployment. Without comprehensive, accurate location data, automated systems struggle to deliver the predictive insights that modern telcos demand.
This fragmentation is a major problem when attempting to scale automation across complex networks. Automated systems require consistent, reliable data inputs to function effectively, yet traditional telecoms data environments often lack the accuracy necessary to support advanced automation.
Enabling automation through location data
Accurate location data provides the trusted foundation that next-generation automation requires. Ordnance Survey's National Geographic Database (NGD) offers the comprehensive infrastructure intelligence that powers this transformation. With detailed information covering over 40 million addresses and 500 million geographic features across Great Britain, OS data enables telecoms operators to automate previously manual processes with confidence.
Every property or telco asset across Great Britain receives a distinct identifier, known as a Unique Property Reference Number (UPRN). This UPRN can be used to link data to specific addresses — in this case, OS data from the NGD. The data in OS NDG is split into distinct themes, for example, Land Use, Buildings, and Address themes. Building data can be used to assess roof height and slant for a specific property, while other data sets like Land Use can be used to identify geographical dangers that may surround the home or asset.
This data foundation can support automated site selection and feasibility assessments that would previously have required extensive manual investigation. Operators can evaluate potential locations based on terrain conditions, access restrictions, and infrastructure availability, dramatically reducing the time and cost associated with site identification.
Network design processes can also benefit from accurate infrastructure mapping, enabling automated planning workflows. Instead of relying on assumptions or incomplete data, automated systems can work with precise information about existing infrastructure, environmental constraints, and connectivity requirements.
Autonomous operations
The true power of location data emerges through integration with software-agnostic APIs that support autonomous Operational Support Systems (OSS). This integration enables predictive maintenance capabilities that shift operations from reactive to proactive approaches, identifying potential issues before they impact service delivery.
Automated workforce allocation becomes possible when systems can accurately assess site conditions, access requirements, and task complexity. Rather than relying on manual scheduling and reactive dispatch, operators can optimise resource deployment based on accurate location data.
These capabilities combine to create genuinely autonomous network management systems that can adapt to changing conditions, optimise performance, and prevent issues without human intervention.
Competitive advantage through location data
Telco operators that successfully implement automation will gain competitive advantages through reduced operational costs and improved service reliability. Location data provides the foundation for this transformation, enabling operators to move beyond reactive operations to predictive, autonomous network management.
With OS data, telecoms operators can achieve dramatically improved operational efficiency and reduced deployment costs. More importantly, they gain access to the predictive insights necessary to anticipate and prevent issues rather than simply responding to them.
Find out more about how OS data can support telecoms automation by clicking below, and get in touch with the OS team to discover the right solution for your automation goals.
