 are critical factors for an efficient and well-managed network. By embracing the SON procedures and algorithms, operators will be able to use these capabilities significantly to their advantage. This chapter discusses the various SON features, how they are able to overcome the current issues, and how they benefit the operators when deployed. SON Architecture With LTE maturing and an increase in the demand for capacity, it has become crucial for the optimal use of all network resources to achieve higher end-user experiences and better revenue from the available resources. For any self-optimizations to take effect, some optimization algorithms are needed to drive the self-optimizations. CHAPTER 2 SELF-ORGANIZING NETWORKS IN LTE DEPLOYMENT Based on the implementation and deployment, SONs can be classified as: Centralized SON Distributed SON Hybrid SON Centralized SON Centralized SON, as the name suggests, consists of a centrally located SON framework. In other words, the optimization algorithms take place in the Operations, administration and management (OAM) system. One main advantage of this kind of solution is that the SON functionality will be centralized and will be at a higher level, thereby being more use-case driven. The flip side of this solution is that the decisions are not as fast as the distributed SON type. Figure 2-1 presents a flowchart for the centralized SON architecture. Central SON Optimization decisions are made centrally and passed Element on to individual nodes. Management System Itf-N Itf-N ENodeB N Itf-N Cell N+2 Cell N+1 X2-link ENodeB 1 ENodeB 2 Cell N Cell A Cell C Cell D Cell F Cell B Cell E Figure 2-1. Centralized SON architecture In centralized SON, all SON functions are located in the element management or network management level, making it easier to deploy. However, multivendor integration for the optimization of a solution can be quite challenging, as there is no standard driven optimization procedure, and vendors can have the centralized SON implementation suited to their network