TELECOM REVENUE ASSURANCE
Learn how our Test Call Generation (TCG) tools are used for end-to-end telecom revenue assurance
THE CHALLENGE
Finding revenue leakage, verifying regulatory compliance and optimising business rules. These are just some of the key challenges or performance targets that revenue assurance (RA) teams face around the world. We have seen first-hand just how hard revenue assurance teams work on behalf of the consumer to ensure billing accuracy. This is why our revenue assurance technologies are designed to focus on automation, return on investment (ROI) and efficient audit compliance powered by accurate TCG data.
We Focus On Risk
Technology and its applications are evolving at an unprecedented rate. The telecommunications industry is set to be the major platform enabler on which these new services and products will be delivered. The importance of covering these new risks increases as time goes on and requires the latest revenue assurance technology.
Since our first managed service began in 2004, we have been refining our telecom risk framework and evolving our technology. Our risk-based approach ensures that the maximum level of assurance is achieved through intelligent test strategy design. This includes the ability to benchmark the issues found in one region of the world against another, resulting in complete risk assurance.
Our carefully engineered test call generation (TCG) tools provide revenue assurance for much more than just mobile and landline services. We are your competitive ‘One Stop Shop‘ to complete telecom risk and revenue assurance.
Calling Messaging Browsing
Mobile Money Cash In Cash Out
PSTN Fixed Line Network
Network QoS IOT
Apps Bundles Streaming
Pay TV Subscriptions Connectivity
Broadband WiFi QoS
Speed Gaming Latency
Find Revenue Leakage With Customer Experience Testing
“The customer is always right” can often be heard in customer-centric industries such as telecom. Our technology has been designed to operate from the customers perspective. Roscom TCGs generate REAL test events, in exactly the same way that a customer would, using a real SIM or phone line.
Test call generation identifies EXACTLY what the real customer is experiencing. There is no filter. Therefore, any issues identified with TCG that affect service delivery, CDR generation, metering or billing will also reflect what is happening in the real world!
The accurate end-to-end verification provided by our TCGs will identify any technical revenue leakage issues and more importantly any causes for customer complaint e.g. billing errors.
Industry Leading Telecom Revenue Assurance
Telecom Revenue Assurance teams work tirelessly to optimise the customer experience, however they do not always have the right tools. Our TCG solution covers all of your revenue streams, to identify risks and above all to deliver a significant return on investment. Combining our market leading tools with our experience in revenue assurance, we form an essential extension to your team.
- New Product Launch and Promotions
- Platform Migrations and Updates
- New Service Roll-Out e.g. eSIM, 5G
- In Country & Roaming Testing
- Ad hoc independent review
- Revenue Assurance KPIs for Benchmarking
Independent End to End Testing
There are numerous Test Call Generators available in the RAFM marketplace, but their capabilities can differ wildly. Our TCG methodology utilises five key methods of independence:
- Independent Test Events
- Independent Time Source
- Independent Metering
- Independent Rounding
- Independent Rating and Billing
We offer key performance indicators (KPIs) for each step of the CDR process. Our TCG can also be applied to quality of service (QoS) testing and fraud detection.
TCG Product Guide for RAFM
We are pleased to make available to you our latest Osprey™ TCG product guide!
This guide provides a comprehensive breakdown of our RAFM test calling capabilities and services for all your revenue streams.
You now only need one tool for all your revenue assurance testing needs, and it won’t cost the earth (Carbon Negative solutions).
Revenue Assurance for 5G Mobile Services
Our 5G Test Call Generators are designed to offer the complete Revenue Assurance package. Assure all key 5G activities for voice, SMS, MMS and data with complete accuracy. Our TCGs are backwards compatible, meaning that the same TCGs can also provide coverage for your legacy technology (e.g. 2G & 3G).
In conclusion, if your current risk strategy does not include 5G testing, then how can you be sure that these revenues are being assured?
TCG can fully assure your 5G services and end-to-end billing process
Revenue Assurance Frequently Asked Questions
We can appreciate that revenue assurance using TCG may sometimes appear complicated. In the below FAQ section, we answer some of the questions that we often receive. We hope that the below information helps to provide clarity on our TCG solution:
Questions About TCG
Anything that a real subscriber can do. For example, make phone calls, go on holiday, send text messages, call relatives abroad, browse the internet etc.
Yes – our roaming footprint across the globe combined with our SIM server enables us to test roaming and international destinations.
Each test event that is generated by our Osprey™ platform is rated, bundled and billed by our independent billing engine (based on published tariff information). Then, the Osprey™ system matches and compares the expected ‘golden rule’ pricing against the actual CDR pricing. Any differences in pricing or bundle application are found by comparing the two sets of CDRs are reported as billing errors in the Osprey™ system.
We have developed our rating and bundle engine based on decades of experience in building tariffs and bundles. We are confident that any billing setup you have, our Osprey™ tool is capable of replicating for verification. Click here to learn more about how our TCG works.
Our TCGs are used to both send and also receive the calls or text messages using the SIMs. This allows Roscom to record the end-to-end steps of the call (or text) and verify activities during the events to ±100ms. Our TCGs use an independent time source to ensure call log details are accurate.
Due to this independence and accuracy, numerous service assurance risk areas can be tested. This includes service availability, network performance, dropped calls, failed events, SMS delivery times, network dial delay etc. This is all possible for 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G.
Questions About CDRs
CDRs can be sent to the Osprey system in real time. Some mobile operators for example provide CDRs every 15 minutes, some prefer to supply CDRs on a monthly basis due to billing cycles.
Any CDRs can be placed into the Osprey system and decoded. This includes binary, ASN.1 and ASCII formats just to name a few.
Compliance & Regulatory
- Overcharging
- Undercharging
- Poor service quality
- Failure to meet regulated SLAs or KPIs
- Bad user experience – incorrectly published information, poor customer service help, website problems, short code or IVR interaction issues.
- Benchmarking industry RA KPIs
Usually, telecom operators demonstrate their compliance through Call Detail Records (CDRs) which detail a subscribers activity on the network in an itemised manner. But it is possible to prove compliance without the operator providing CDRs.
For prepaid tariffs, a simple automated balance check before and after every activity on the network will provide the evidence needed to verify billing accuracy.
For postpaid tariffs, likely an online portal will be available to a customer where usage and costs can be checked. These itemised details often include duration and byte counts, or bundle remaining statistics. All of these details can be used independently to verify metering and billing compliance.
Other risk areas that can be tested include: business rule validation (e.g. rounding), tariff rating, bundles, rollovers, provisioning, international calling and roaming.
Our Test Call Generators are the market-leader in accuracy for timing and metering!
A test strategy/regime of money transfers can be designed to verify mobile money using TCG. Published Mobile Money business rules related to security and fraud prevention can be verified by testing limits and boundaries via the TCG. Service availability and revenue assurance are both often included in the mobile money testing as all are important factors to delivering an essential service to the end subscriber. Our solutions for Mobile Money are usually bespoke according to the regulatory focus.
Roscoms TCG Experience
We have delivered 3000+ projects over 3 decades with over 8,500 pieces of test and measurement hardware being distributed across the globe. These projects include Managed Services (run by us) and Technical Product Installations (run by you)
- Our TCGs are completely independent to the telecommunications network being tested
- Our TCGs are market-leading in accuracy (±100ms)
- We have been approved for Telecom Systems and Equipment with TÜV SÜD BABT since 2007, that’s over 15 years!
- We are ISO 27001, 14001 and 9001 accredited
- We have been Carbon Negative since 2020
Commercial & Implementation
Our prices are very competitive and honest. No hidden or unrealistic charges. A straightforward pricing structure. Learn more here
Here at Roscom we are able to offer short, sharp, burst-like audit projects. These short-term services (STS) can be designed to suit your needs, for example:
- A system-wide health check – test your top tariffs and billing platforms to identify areas of leakage
- Change management or new product launch – focus on just one or two areas of your business that carries a high risk at the present time
- Areas of customer complaint – if a certain type of customer complaint is trending, using TCG to prove or disprove the issue can be one of the quickest ways to get to the bottom of the problem
Some of our customers prefer this more relaxed method to a managed service, and have these kind of STS projects annually. If you would like to know more about our way of working, please see the How To Buy page.
Roscom implementation timelines are reduced due to our existing TCG footprint and local partners. Depending on the size/type of project and location, testing can begin in as little as a few days (as soon as a SIMs are provided).
Our TCGs are designed, assembled, and shipped out by us. All based from our HQ in Derby, UK.
Yes. Due to the modular nature of the solution it can be easily expanded over time in-line with business growth,
new technology rollouts and changing business needs.
Yes. Our SIM Server enables support for centralised SIM management in the Osprey™ TCG platform. This reduces the operational overheads of managing physical SIMs inside call generator hardware. Often, call generators are hosted in various physical locations across the CSPs network or even in other countries for roaming testing. SIM Server enables all SIMs used for testing to be hosted centrally in a dedicated secure hardware component.
SIM Server can also be used to increase the capacity of the Osprey™ TCG platform in terms of product coverage. Each SIM Server can hold up to 400 individual SIMs and multiple SIM Servers can be connected to a single Osprey™ TCG platform.
Request A TCG Demonstration
Our Osprey™ TCG demonstrations are flexible and suited to your needs. Ask our revenue assurance experts questions or listen along, there are no obligations.
