Exploring the Application of Design Thinking Methodology in Cellular Communications Network Planning and Deployment

Cellular network planning and deployment represent a set of activities that operators have been performing since the advent of mobile wireless communication systems. Decisions along this route traditionally have been based on engineering or commercial criteria, focusing on providing the best service to users. Although operator companies gather information regarding perceived quality of service among their subscribers, mainly using surveys, engineers work with numerical data more than with people’s interests, feelings, perceptions, or hopes. In other sectors, Design Thinking has arisen as a methodology that allows designers to involve real-world users in implementing new products or services. Thus, we are introducing this methodology for cellular networking, exploring its application in a process that could be designed in a more human-centered way. With this aim, we analyzed the different steps that could be included in the network planning and deployment. From this analysis, we detected which actions have chances to be explored in a human-centered view and thus, can be improved with some Design Thinking tips. Finally, we developed an experience of limited potential, comparing the insights obtained by an empathic interview to those given by traditional surveys, to show what Design Thinking could provide.