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Published: August 19, 2026 | Last Technically Reviewed: August 19, 2026
Myanmar Telenor Nationwide Mobile Broadband Network Planning - Field Case Series, Part 2
- 1. Quick Answer
- 2. We Started by Separating Existing Resources Into Layers
- 3. Microwave Was Planned Where the Physical Access Path Required It
- 4. Real Aggregation Points Determined the Data-Communication Layer
- 5. New Fiber Filled Gaps Instead of Replacing Existing Infrastructure
- 6. WDM Planning Came After the Connectivity Picture Became Clear
- 7. The Final Map Became an Engineering Reference
- 8. See the Complete Myanmar Telenor Network Planning Project
- 9. The Same Physical-Layer Discipline Applies to Business Networks
- 10. Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
- 11. Myanmar Telenor Field Case Series
Quick Answer
In the Myanmar Telenor nationwide mobile network planning project, a list of radio and core sites was not enough to create a workable transport network. We separated planned RAN sites, Mobile Core sites, existing MPT WDM sites and fiber routes into geographic layers, then added microwave, data-communication, new-fiber and WDM planning layers as the physical topology developed. This made it possible to reuse available transport resources, identify real aggregation points, fill only the missing physical connections, and produce an end-to-end map showing how radio sites could physically reach the core.
We Started by Separating Existing Resources Into Layers
By the time transport planning started, the upstream planning work had already produced the RAN site list, Mobile Core site list and corresponding transport requirements. The next step was to place those requirements alongside infrastructure that already existed.
In the project, we imported four key resource groups into separate Google Earth layers:
- all planned RAN base-station sites;
- Mobile Core sites;
- existing MPT WDM sites;
- existing MPT fiber routes.
Separating these resources mattered because each layer represented a different engineering question.
The RAN layer showed where traffic originated.
The Mobile Core layer showed where that traffic ultimately needed to reach.
The existing WDM and fiber layers showed where transport infrastructure was already available and therefore where reuse, leasing or co-location might be practical.
If all of those objects had simply been drawn onto one static diagram, it would have been much harder to distinguish which relationship we were examining. With layers, we could show or hide individual resource types and compare them geographically.
That made questions much easier to answer:
- Which radio sites were close to usable transport resources?
- Where did multiple radio paths converge?
- Which existing fiber or WDM nodes were naturally positioned to become aggregation points?
- Where were there physical gaps that existing infrastructure could not close?
- Which sites could be co-located?
This was not a presentation exercise. The layered map became part of the engineering decision process.
Microwave Was Planned Where the Physical Access Path Required It
The next layer we created was for microwave.
Microwave was one of the physical-access options used to bring geographically distributed radio sites toward aggregation points. It was not selected independently of the rest of the transport network.
The project documentation records that microwave planning considered:
- the bandwidth and latency requirements of 4G base-station traffic;
- Telenor's available microwave spectrum;
- the construction cost of different microwave site types;
- and construction time.
Based on those conditions, microwave A and B sites and the appropriate microwave site types were selected and placed into a dedicated microwave layer.
The important planning idea was that a radio site did not exist in isolation.
Once a microwave path was chosen, that decision affected where the transport network could realistically aggregate the traffic. Microwave planning therefore became one input into the next physical layer rather than a separate standalone design.
This article does not attempt to reproduce the project's microwave engineering calculations. The source material does not provide individual path-loss values, antenna sizes, Fresnel-clearance calculations or detailed link budgets, and those are not necessary to explain the physical-planning decision.
The relevant point is narrower:
Microwave gave us a practical physical path from some radio sites toward locations where their traffic could be aggregated.
Real Aggregation Points Determined the Data-Communication Layer
Once the radio and microwave relationships were visible, we created the data-communication layer.
This was not done by drawing an abstract three-tier hierarchy first and then looking for somewhere to install it.
Instead, the hierarchy was mapped onto physical locations that already made sense from the transport-resource perspective.
The original project records the planning relationship clearly:
- microwave aggregation points were selected as data-communication access sites;
- MPT metro WDM sites and metro-fiber nodes were used to identify data-communication aggregation sites;
- MPT backbone WDM sites, backbone-fiber nodes and Mobile Core locations were used to identify backbone/core transport sites.
That sequence is one of the strongest engineering lessons from this phase of the project.
The logical hierarchy had to correspond to places where physical transport actually existed.
In simplified form:
RAN sites
Microwave aggregation points
Data access sites
Metro fiber/WDM nodes
Aggregation sites
Backbone fiber/WDM nodes
Core transport sites
Mobile Core
The exact transport architecture and service protocols are outside this case. What mattered for physical planning was that each logical layer was attached to a real geographic resource.
Once those relationships were visible on the map, it became much easier to identify where the planned transport hierarchy aligned with existing infrastructure-and where it did not.
New Fiber Filled Gaps Instead of Replacing Existing Infrastructure
The project did not assume that the entire physical network should be constructed from scratch.
The wider Telenor planning principle was to reuse or lease existing resources where practical and minimize unnecessary new construction. For the Mobile Bearer Network, site locations and fiber paths were therefore planned to overlap with existing MPT WDM sites and fiber routes wherever this allowed Telenor to lease available wavelength or fiber-core resources.
But existing infrastructure did not always produce a complete topology.
After the microwave and data-communication layers were established, we created a separate fiber layer. New fiber routes were then planned where the existing MPT fiber network could not provide the required ring, chain or physical connection between planned transport sites.
The logic was therefore:
Use existing fiber where it provides the required path
identify missing physical connections
build new fiber only where those gaps must be closed
That is different from replacing the existing network with a completely new fiber footprint.
The project documentation explicitly notes that new fiber construction carried relatively high cost and long construction cycles, so the amount of new fiber needed to be minimized.
No exact fiber distance or construction-cost figure is recorded in the source, so none should be added retrospectively.
The real engineering point is that new construction was used selectively to complete the physical topology.
WDM Planning Came After the Connectivity Picture Became Clear
WDM planning followed the fiber picture rather than preceding it.
The project created a dedicated WDM layer after considering:
- available fiber information;
- repeated physical connections between sites;
- the construction cost of new WDM sites;
- and the cost of leasing fiber cores.
That order mattered.
Only after the site relationships and physical fiber connectivity had become visible could we identify where optical transport resources made sense.
This prevented the optical layer from becoming a product-first exercise.
The project was balancing microwave, fiber, data communication and WDM together. Construction cost, construction difficulty and deployment time all had to be coordinated while still satisfying the bearer requirements.
The goal was not maximum reuse or minimum construction in isolation.
It was a workable end-to-end physical network.
The Final Map Became an Engineering Reference
One of the practical advantages of the layered approach appeared after the planning work itself was complete.
Once the RAN sites, Mobile Core sites, microwave paths, data-communication sites, fiber routes and WDM relationships were combined, the map provided a clear visual reference showing:
- the physical path from 4G base stations toward the core;
- connections between sites;
- co-location relationships;
- and the relationship between new and existing transport resources.
The project document notes that this information could then support subsequent interconnection design, site-integration design and troubleshooting.
That is the main engineering lesson from this case:
A useful planning map should remain useful after the planning phase.
The final map was not merely evidence that planning had been completed. It preserved the physical logic of the network so that later teams could understand how sites were connected and why particular relationships existed.
For us, the planning process was effectively:
Separate resources into layers
expose geographic relationships
plan access paths
map aggregation onto real resources
reuse existing infrastructure
fill physical gaps
combine the layers into an end-to-end reference
That physical picture had to exist before the project could move confidently into detailed transport-service design.
See the Complete Myanmar Telenor Network Planning Project
This case covers only the physical mobile-transport planning process from the larger Myanmar Telenor network-planning project.
The complete project also included Mobile Core planning, RAN planning, bearer-network architecture, capacity, reliability, QoS, security and network management. Those topics are deliberately excluded here because they answer different engineering questions. The original planning work ultimately produced site lists, transport requirements, physical resource plans and planning reports covering these separate dimensions.
You can download the complete Myanmar Telenor network planning white paper for free to see how these planning domains fit together.
The Same Physical-Layer Discipline Applies to Business Networks
A nationwide mobile bearer network and a hotel, retail or SMB network are completely different in scale and technology. The Telenor transport topology should not be copied into an enterprise LAN.
The transferable discipline is to understand the physical infrastructure before selecting replacement hardware.
For current business-network projects, that means checking existing copper cabling, existing fiber, switch and closet locations, floor layout, AP positions, uplink routes, cable distances, available interfaces and expected growth before selecting access switches, aggregation equipment, optics, cabling or APs.
In current enterprise projects, optical transceivers for fiber uplinks should be checked against interface speed, fiber type, transmission distance and device compatibility before the BOM is finalized.
Our high-traffic business network solutions workflow applies this project-specific approach to hotels, cafés, retail stores, coworking spaces and SMB offices. If you already have a topology, floor plan, device list or BOM, those materials can be reviewed before the final equipment selection is made.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
How did the Myanmar Telenor project turn radio-site locations into a physical transport network?
The project placed planned RAN sites and Mobile Core sites alongside existing MPT WDM locations and fiber routes in separate geographic layers. Microwave, data-communication, new-fiber and WDM layers were then added as the physical relationships became clear, allowing engineers to build workable paths from radio sites toward the core.
Why were different transport resources placed in separate map layers?
Separating RAN sites, core sites, WDM sites and fiber routes made their geographic relationships easier to evaluate independently and together. This helped expose infrastructure proximity, potential co-location, possible aggregation locations and missing physical paths.
The source confirms that these resource types were imported into separate Google Earth layers; it does not specify the exact user-interface workflow used to manage those layers.
What infrastructure was imported into the initial map layers?
The original planning document identifies four initial resource groups:
planned RAN base-station sites;
Mobile Core sites;
MPT WDM sites;
MPT fiber routes.
These provided the geographic foundation for subsequent physical transport planning.
What role did microwave play in the physical transport plan?
Microwave was one physical-access option for bringing radio-site traffic toward aggregation locations. Microwave planning considered the requirements of 4G base-station traffic, available microwave spectrum, different microwave site types, construction cost and deployment time.
This case does not attempt to reproduce individual microwave link-budget or path-engineering calculations.
How were data-communication access and aggregation sites selected?
The project mapped the logical transport hierarchy onto existing physical resources. Microwave aggregation points were used to identify data access sites; metro WDM and fiber nodes informed aggregation-site selection; and backbone WDM/fiber nodes together with Mobile Core locations informed backbone transport-site selection.
Did Myanmar Telenor build completely new fiber routes for the transport network?
No. The project sought to align transport sites and fiber paths with existing MPT WDM and fiber infrastructure where those resources could be used. New fiber was planned selectively where existing resources could not complete the required physical connections.
Why was new fiber construction minimized?
The original project documentation states that new fiber construction was relatively expensive and had a comparatively long construction cycle. The planning approach therefore attempted to minimize new fiber while still completing the necessary physical connectivity.
When was WDM planning performed?
WDM planning followed the developing physical connectivity picture. The project considered available fiber information, repeated connections between sites, the cost of constructing new WDM resources and the cost of leasing fiber cores when deciding where new WDM sites were appropriate.
Was the final layered map only used for network-planning presentations?
No. The project documentation states that the completed map clearly showed the physical routes from 4G base stations toward the core, inter-site relationships and co-location relationships. This information was also useful for later interconnection design, site-integration design and troubleshooting.
What is the main engineering lesson from this Myanmar Telenor case?
The main lesson is that distributed site lists do not become a transport network until their physical relationships are understood.
The project first separated existing and planned resources geographically, then used those relationships to select physical access paths, identify aggregation points, reuse available infrastructure and fill missing connectivity.
The final result was more than a planning graphic: it preserved the physical logic of how the network connected from radio sites toward the core.
Myanmar Telenor Field Case Series
Previous: How We Planned 4G Radio Sites Without Building Every Site From Scratch
Part 2: How We Used Layered Maps to Plan a Nationwide 4G Transport Network
Next: How We Sized GE, 10GE, 40GE and 200GE Links for a Mobile Transport Network
Full project: Myanmar Telenor Nationwide Mobile Broadband Network Planning White Paper