What is OSS? Operations Support System (OSS) Meaning and Use in the Telecom Industry

As networks become increasingly complex, companies in the telecommunications industry face the challenge of managing higher data volumes, identifying a growing number of network issues, and minimizing service outages. To keep business operations running smoothly and meet customer expectations, telcos used to rely on people or a wide range of tools, one per problem. There were tools for different networks elements, solutions designed for network performance, service delivery, and lastly, tools for fault detection. With the advent of an operations support system (OSS), however, telecom companies can finally streamline these processes using one unified platform.

At Flyaps, we’ve been working as a software development partner with telcos for over a decade. During this time, we've witnessed how automation, powered by advanced operations support systems, has transformed telecommunications services. The manual, time-consuming processes have evolved into automated, efficient workflows. But let’s not rush ourselves and start by discussing what is OSS means and how it operates. 

What does OSS stand for?

Operations support system (OSS), or operational support system is a multitude of backend technologies for automatically monitoring and managing telecom networks. In practical terms, OSS means helping telecom operators handle tasks like managing network connections, ensuring services (like internet or phone calls) are working properly, fixing issues during service disruptions, and tracking network performance.

To better understand what OSS is in action, imagine using your mobile phone to stream a video. Behind the scenes, the telecom provider’s set of applications called OSS ensures the network delivers uninterrupted streaming. If the network slows down or has a problem, the OSS detects the issue, identifies what’s wrong, and helps fix it — often without you even knowing. You see only the result.

But what’s OSS doing to solve network problems? Depending on the issue, the OSS can either automatically reroute network traffic to less busy areas or trigger maintenance alerts for technicians if physical repairs are needed.

Interested in telecom automation? Read our dedicated article “Telecom Automation: How to Leverage the Key Differentiator.”

Now that we’ve covered the general concept, let's dive into the technical details and explore the operational support system architecture.

Operational support system architecture

With communications networks becoming more intricate, let’s look at all the layers allowing OSS to handle such complex systems these days. There are six layers in total. The first two may seem more aligned with business support systems (BSS) — the business management layer and the service management layer. Yet, an operational support system needs to align with the broader business processes while defining and managing customer services.

1. Business management layer (BML) focuses on high-level business tasks such as strategic business planning, trend identification, and quality assurance. In the context of an operational support system, BML supports activities like billing and budgeting. For example, telecom companies use BML to analyze customer demand trends and set pricing strategies for services.
2. Service management layer (SML) defines and manages the services that telecom companies offer to their customers. This part of OSS system acts as a bridge between customer services and the underlying network infrastructure. This includes creating, managing, and billing for services like mobile data plans. For instance, when a company sets up a new internet plan for customers, SML ensures it’s properly integrated into the network and billing systems.
3. Network management layer (NML) oversees the entire network as a collection of interconnected components. Within an operational support system, it manages tasks like network monitoring, setting it up, and ensuring smooth operation across different areas. For example, NML helps manage network connections and data flow across various servers and switches to ensure a customer’s phone call travels uninterrupted across the network.
4. Element management layer (EML) manages specific network devices, such as routers or switches. It handles things like monitoring alarms, creating backups, and maintaining these devices. For example, if a router in the network has an issue, EML will detect the problem and alert the necessary team to fix it before it affects customers.
5. Network element layer (NEL) represents the customer’s network devices, such as modems, routers, or switches that connect to the telecom provider’s infrastructure. For example, when a customer’s home router connects to the internet, it operates within the OSS system’s network element layer, which ensures that their device communicates with the broader network.
6. Physical layer represents the actual physical connections between devices, such as cables, joints, and other hardware components. This layer is crucial for the physical transmission of data. For instance, the fiber-optic cables that deliver high-speed internet to homes or the underground cables that connect cell towers are part of the OSS network's physical layer. 

Now, let’s shift our focus to the specific processes that handle the daily operations of network and service management. Although we have previously discussed network management as part of the OSS framework, its operational importance also deserves discussion. We will be revising it again but in a different context.

What is an OSS’ main components and features?

Here’s a breakdown of OSS's main components and features, explaining how each part works and why they are important.

Network management

What is an OSS without effective network management? Network management is crucial for maintaining network stability and meeting Service Level Agreements (SLAs). For example, let’s say a telecom provider promises customers 99.9% uptime. Frequent outages could lead to customer dissatisfaction, complaints, or even cancellations. However, with an OSS monitoring network connections and performance, issues like network faults can be identified and resolved quickly, often before they affect customers.

For instance, an OSS system continuously checks if all customers are connected to the network. If there’s an issue, such as a fiber cut in a specific area, fault management kicks in and helps identify the problem, often before customers notice any disruption. Network management functions also ensure that key infrastructure elements like routers, switches, and data centers aren’t overloaded, even during peak usage times when many people are using the internet. This guarantees efficient network services and a better customer experience.

Service fulfillment 

Imagine a customer signs up for a new internet package through an online portal. This process may seem simple to the customer, but behind the curtain, the service fulfillment system in the OSS automatically triggers a series of tasks. The system checks whether the customer’s location has the necessary network infrastructure (like fiber-optic or copper lines) to support the service. It identifies available network resources like bandwidth and IP addresses, and if everything is in place, it automatically provisions the service. Once it’s done, the customer is notified that their new internet service is ready.

Service fulfillment is key to quickly turning customer requests into live services. Faster service activation leads to improved customer satisfaction, shorter waiting times, and more efficient use of the network elements, which is vital for staying competitive.

Service assurance 

While service fulfillment focuses on activating services, service assurance oversees that these services maintain high quality after activation. Operational support systems’ service assurance tools continuously monitor for issues such as dropped calls, poor voice quality, or slow data speeds. The system flags these problems immediately and initiates resolutions, ensuring consistent service quality. This proactive approach minimizes disruptions and helps maintain network performance, improving customer management and loyalty.

Service delivery  

Service delivery is the overall process of delivering a service to the customer, from order management and service fulfillment to service assurance and ongoing customer support. The OSS telecom’s meaning in this context is to streamline both the business and customer-side operations, providing a seamless experience for both customers and service providers.

By now, you should have a solid answer to the question, “What is OSS?” All that's left is to recap the advantages of the operations support system, some of which we've already mentioned.

Benefits of an operation support system for telecom

We’ll highlight only the key benefits of implementing an OSS, but keep in mind there are plenty more.

Automating routine tasks  

Consider a telecom operator manually monitoring hundreds of network devices for connectivity issues. By automating this with OSS, the system can instantly detect faults, notify the relevant team, and sometimes even resolve the problem autonomously, reducing downtime. This automation ensures faster service restoration and allows resources to focus on more strategic tasks, improving network efficiency.

Facilitating rapid service deployment 

Suppose, a telecom provider wants to offer a new 5G data plan. With operational support systems, the process of configuring the physical infrastructure, allocating resources, and activating the service for customers can be automated and completed within hours instead of days. This quick turnaround helps the operator meet customer demand for new communication services faster.

Advanced data analytics  

Many telcos use OSS systems’ advanced data analytics to monitor the data usage patterns of their customers. For example, by analyzing customer data, an operator can identify high-demand areas and proactively upgrade network infrastructure to ensure better service quality.

More about telecom data analytics read in our article “Maximizing the Value of Telecom Data Analytics: Opportunities and Challenges.”

IoT integration  

As the number of IoT devices in telecom networks grows, OSS systems play a crucial role in managing these devices and handling the massive data they generate. OSS ensures seamless connectivity and service delivery for IoT networks, making it vital for modern telecom infrastructure.

The key to successful IoT integration also lies in the strategy you choose. For more on this topic, read the article “Telecom IoT Strategy: Where Is the Key to Telcos' Success in the Internet of Things?” 

Centralizing control  

Instead of using separate systems for different network functions (like fault management or service provisioning), operators can manage all telecommunications services through a single OSS centralized platform. This consolidated approach ensures that telcos can quickly resolve issues with their entire network infrastructure, maintain smooth operations, and improve overall service delivery and reliability.

We’ve been in the telecom market for over a decade, and with our extensive expertise we can help you in multiple way. Here are some of them:

AI implementation for enhanced analytics

As an AI-focused team, we can implement AI-driven analytics tools that will ensure your OSS will be able to analyze large datasets from IoT devices and provide insights into user behavior, operational efficiency, and system performance.

Billing and payment integration

From custom billing solutions to integrating off-the-shelf billing systems that would work seamlessly with other tools within the OSS network — we have the expertise to make it happen.

Migration services

Want to transition from outdated software to a new, advanced OSS platform? We can ensure minimal downtime and continuity in your critical services by using a phased migration approach, so business can continue to run smoothly. 

Ready to modernize your telecom infrastructure with next-gen OSS platform? We're here to help! Drop us a line to schedule a consultation.

Frequently asked questions

Here are some of the most common questions related to the operational support system.