Latest Contributions by SpatialNinja

  This meetup is focused on ArcGIS 2023 and is for the Esri Telecom User Community. This is your chance to hear technical updates, talk with Esri staff, learn from other members of the community, and stay informed.     What's new in ArcGIS ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Enterprise Imagery and analysis   See you at the next meetup!   Patrick Huls ... View more

  Join us for Esri’s Telecom GIS in 60 minutes (TGI60)   This meetup is focused on Field Operations and is for the Esri telecom user community. This is your chance to hear technical updates, talk with Esri staff, learn from other members of the community, and stay informed. Workflow management Collect and capture Share and collaborate This isn't a webinar—it's a virtual discussion. You'll get to ask questions and provide feedback. Don't miss your opportunity to learn how GIS technology is helping organizations meet challenges in the telecom industry. Register Today   ... View more

Join Esri and the Telecom User Community for a community meetup! This time we'll be getting together in Palm Springs at Esri IMGIS. More to come. We are planning on a couple opportunities to meet up during the week. Check the comments section of this event for details.    Where? Palm Springs     When? October 10–12, 2023      Please RSVP to this event post and we'll see you there! ... View more

As technologists, we live in a world of secure network ecosystems and software services. This eye-opening interview reveals how the science of geography automates planning and implementation as Esri translates technology breakthroughs into practical reality with its ground-breaking geographic information system (GIS). In this interview with Randall René, Director, Telecommunications Industry at Esri, we discover how GIS gathers, manages and analyzes data and its integration with customers’ OSS/BSS systems. Randall explains how GIS enables efficient deployment in physical terrains, adapts to city, environmental and financial business constraints leaving a lasting impact on critical network infrastructure deployment.   READ ARTICLE   ... View more

  The telecommunications industry is working harder than ever before to meet demands and connect society to what’s important in their lives. Today, service providers need to ensure they are also delivering services sustainably and understand environmental impacts while building and maintaining networks. While doing so, teams need to ensure they can maximize limited resources, safeguard the customer experience, and deliver services deeper into rural communities.   Since virtually every aspect of business in the telecommunications industry involves location, it only makes sense for organizations to take a geographic approach to manage their networks efficiently and sustainably. By using maps and spatial thinking to plan and design, analyze, collaborate, and capitalize market opportunities, organizations can provide the best possible awareness and understanding for completing tasks and solving problems.   This session highlights how service providers of any size can utilize location to unify data and information contained in existing operations and business support systems to create and comprehensive understanding throughout the organization.   Webinar Presenters: @RandallRené, Director, Telecommunications Industry Solutions, Esri @JLauer, Sr. Solutions Engineer, Telecommunications and Cable, Esri   REGISTER HERE ... View more

Episode 4 of Talking Telecom is here! In this episode @RandallRené  interviews Jason Hart, partner manager at Esri, about how Esri Telecom partners play an instrumental role in elevating the capabilities of service providers. To operate in today's environment, providers need the highest level of situational awareness and comprehensive understanding before making strategic decisions and taking action. To ensure they are capable of meeting the needs to consumers, while also maintaining the ever evolving transparency and collaboration in market operations, companies need tools free from siloes, and capable of integration with GIS. To learn more about how Esri serves the telecom industry, visit our site: www.esri.com/telecom To better understand how to become a telecom partner with Esri visit our partner page to learn more: https://www.esri.com/en-us/about/partners/become-partner   ... View more

  News & Updates The annual Esri UC was July 10-14 and offered a jam packed week of tech sessions, demo theaters, user presentations, and more.  Below are some of the highlights from the week that we've compiled for our Telecom User Community. Plenary The week kicked off with a half day plenary filled with announcements of new products and updates, and user presentations. Those in the Telecom User Community attending the plenary in-person met up and sat together to watch the opening acts. Jack Dangermond highlighted the great work of the community and showed some of the map examples sent in by telecom organizations. During the morning act of the plenary, the GIS team from Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) showed off the great work they have done to bring enterprise GIS and mapping to PG&E to support asset management and safety of their employees and the communities they serve with gas and electric utilities.    The morning and afternoon acts of plenary also highlighted many new products and updates to ArcGIS, including: ArcGIS Online and the web map viewer ArcGIS Reality Mobile apps ArcGIS Workflow Manager ArcGIS Pro and more To re-watch any of the opening plenary or see all the new product updates highlighted, be sure to check out this video playlist.    Telecommunications Industry Kick-off On Tuesday morning, following Monday's Plenary, the telecom industry kick-off was held. This kick-off meeting was a chance for the Esri Telecom Team to offer some insights into the state of the telecom industry. @RandallRené shared a few of the major telecom initiatives Esri sees telecom organizations tackling today.   Randall also talked about how GIS is helping to break down silos' between business groups and allow organizations to rally around maps to help support these major initiatives.   Along with sharing these insights, the Esri Telecom Team provided some guidance for the week and offered some suggestions for telecom specific demo theaters, tech sessions, and telecom user presentations to attend.    Demo Theater Presentation On Tuesday, following the telecom kick-off, Esri Solution Engineers @PatrickRyan and @JLauer provided a demo theater presentation on Building NextGen Telecom Networks with ArcGIS. They showcased a workflow that used the FCC BDC dataset to locate new fiber expansion opportunities and then used ArcGIS Solutions, Network Path Planner and Walkout Survey, to optimize a fiber plan, cost out the project, and verify a high-level design in the field. View an interactive StoryMap from the demo HERE.   Telecom User Presentations Throughout the week, many ArcGIS users in the Telecom User Community shared how their teams and organizations leverage GIS to overcome a variety of business problems.  Windstream - Overcoming Operational Challenges in the Face of End of Life Telecom Technology Windstream talked about how the demand to accelerate broadband coverage impacts not only how service providers choose to build out their networks but also how they document and maintain them beyond activation. With many solutions reaching obsolescence, more service providers are ditching the fear of digital transformation in acknowledgement that their legacy systems can no longer support their businesses. This session explores how a service provider is overcoming challenges presented by end-of-life technology by implementing an Esri-based, GIS-first approach to fiber network management.   Vodafone Deutschland GmbH - Vodafone Location Intelligence Platform: Vision and Strategy The presentation explained the visions and longer-term strategies of the "Vodafone Location Intelligence Platform", which is available for geodata users in all European Vodafone markets and provides valuable basis for a "Vodafone Digital Twin". The presentation highlighted flexibility & collaboration through decentralisation and distributed responsibility in the international teams and is divided into two focal points: In addition to the presentation of the product portfolio, including various web-based GIS applications and the operating model.   Telenet - From Digital to Geospatial Transformation - A Telco TIER1 Success Story This session highlighted Telenet, a leading telecom operator in Belgium, as they embarked on a geospatial transformation, initially driven by governmental directives. A digital twin of the telecom utility network enabled the enterprise integration of geospatial technology throughout the entire organization, serving over a large number of different business domains from sales, to marketing, to support and more. The presentation will share information about Telenet’s GIS-based network design & inventory management system and how adopting geospatial technology is continuously changing the organization.Attendees will gain valuable insights into the challenges, strategies, and outcomes of Telenet's digital journey.   County of Hawaii - Discovering the Digital Divide: A Spatial Approach and a Rural Solution The presentation is focused on how the Coronavirus pandemic reinforced the importance of broadband networks, equity, and inclusion. Using the Fabric Data from the Federal Communications Commission, the County of Hawaii addressed the bulk fabric challenge process and last mile prioritization using ArcGIS. As part of this presentation, the County explores how Broadband Outreach ArcGIS Solutions were applied to address the digital divide. Furthermore, they shared how Esri's ArcGIS Spatial Analyst tools and statistics were used to challenge the validity of the fabric data.   Public Service Commission of Wisconsin - Using a Challenge to Make a Plan...Coordinating Broadband Deployment with Esri Public Service Commission of Wisconsin shared how State governments, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), and communities have the challenge of rapidly deploying broadband infrastructure and updating broadband coverage maps. With billions of federal dollars at stake, Wisconsin leverages Esri technology with data and expertise from many partners to advocate for improved broadband statewide and prioritize deployment locations. Particular focus will be on using GIS tools to challenge new federal broadband mapping data to call for appropriate funding from the federal government and using citizen and partner-supplied data to plan deployment.   Wisper ISP - The Broadband Divide - Using GIS to Bridge the Digital Gap In this session, they share how Wisper Internet's goal is to bring high quality broadband internet to communities and homes that are being overlooked and underserved in connectivity. In 2018, Wisper took on the daunting challenge of reaching more than 80,000 “tough to reach” locations identified as unserved across six states. Expanding into new territories at a rapid speed meant relying on data and analyses more than local knowledge. GIS was looked at to manage the project and datasets needed to succeed. Today GIS continues to guide how our network is built, sales efforts are targeted, and backend systems are designed.   Merit/University Of Michigan - Reading the Tea Leaves and Making Decisions on the Fly for Broadband Mapping Merit/University Of Michigan shared how spatial work often requires a reading of the tea leaves as well as the ability to quickly pivot and make decisions on the fly. How well both the GIS and non-GIS teams navigate this impacts the quality of your end result. They shared decisions and considerations occur behind the scenes of mapping telecommunications infrastructure and broadband access.   SAG Award Winner Congrats to this year's special achievement in GIS award winner, Metronet! Well deserved.   If you missed this year's UC, be sure to register for the upcoming IMGIS, October 10-12. Join professionals specializing in infrastructure management from several interconnected industries–architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC); electric; gas; telecommunications; transportation; and water. Register today: https://www.esri.com/en-us/about/events/imgis/overview   Product Updates: ArcGIS Workflow Manager for ArcGIS Online ArcGIS Monitor 2023.2 ArcGIS GeoAnalytics Engine 1.2     Recent TGI5s TGI5 - Episode 078 - Lead Cable Management     Meetups & Events   During the Esri UC the Telecom User Community held an informal meetup following the Esri Infrastructure Social. Thanks to everyone who came out to enjoy the company of other telecom professionals in GIS and a beverage of their choice.    Be sure to check out and register for the next Telecom User Community meetup. Our next meetup will be virtual and the Esri Telecom Team will be providing an update on 'What's New in ArcGIS'.  TGI60 - ArcGIS 2023 - Virtual Meetup    Telecom Insights For those of us lucky enough to call the telecommunications industry home, we live in an ever evolving world of technological change, supported by a multitude of secure network ecosystems and software services. In this interview, we talk about how the science of geography can streamline the telecommunications workflow, as as Esri technology provides a comprehensive foundation for the entire organization via our world leading geographic information system (GIS). Additionally, we talk about how GIS aides organizations to gather, manage and analyze data and integration with customers’ OSS/BSS systems. We talk about how GIS enables efficient deployment in physical terrains, adapts to city, environmental and financial business constraints leaving a lasting impact on critical network infrastructure deployment. To read the full article in ISE Magazine, you can download it here: ASK THE EXPERT: Digital Intelligence for the World’s Critical Infrastructures   Also, be sure to watch this month's Talking Telecom with Jason Hart and Randall Rene as they discuss Esri's Telecom Partner ecosystem.   For more insights, be sure to sign up for the Telecom News newsletter at esri.com/telecom.     Previous Bits & Bytes: TelUC Bits & Bytes Newsletter - March 2023  TelUC Bits & Bytes Newsletter - April 2023  TelUC Bits & Bytes Newsletter - May 2023  TelUC Bits & Bytes Newsletter - June 2023    ... View more

Welcome back to Telecom GIS in 5 Minutes. In this episode we discuss lead cable tracking and management. Because of the recent news around legacy lead cables and their potential impact on the environment, we wanted to share a couple examples of ArcGIS apps that can be configured to help your organization track lead cables and report audits from the field. . ArcGIS Dashboards https://www.esri.com/en-us/arcgis/products/arcgis-dashboards/overview   ArcGIS Field Maps https://www.esri.com/en-us/arcgis/products/arcgis-field-maps/overview   Until next time, we're out.  Patrick Huls   ... View more

 Join us for Esri’s Telecom GIS in 60 minutes (TGI60) on August 15th!   This meetup is focused on ArcGIS 2023 and is for the Esri Telecom User Community. This is your chance to hear technical updates, talk with Esri staff, learn from other members of the community, and stay informed.     What's new in ArcGIS ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Enterprise Imagery and analysis   Don't miss your opportunity to learn how GIS technology is helping organizations meet challenges in the telecom industry.    ... View more

  News & Updates Over the past month many updates to ArcGIS products have been released, including the quarterly update to ArcGIS Online.  One of the new features in the web Map Viewer that we are excited for is the ability to edit related records. You may already be familiar with editing features in Map Viewer. With the June 2023 ArcGIS Online update, the product team added the ability to edit related records as well. You can now add, update, and delete related records without leaving Map Viewer. Here is how to set it up: https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/arcgis-online/mapping/introducing-related-record-editing-in-map-viewer/   Have you ever built an ArcGIS Dashboard and tried to view it on a mobile device? I have and it hasn't always been the best experience, until now. With ArcGIS Dashboards, you can now create a single dashboard with two views: a desktop view and a mobile view. Each view is optimized for its respective device, ensuring a seamless user experience when a dashboard is opened. When you open a dashboard, the optimal view automatically loads based on the screen size of the device used. Get started with dashboard mobile views today: https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/ops-dashboard/decision-support/getting-started-with-dashboard-mobile-views/     As the telecom and the GIS world moves into the immersive era with 3D digital twin mapping, Esri has gone above and beyond by introducing the 3D Basemap feature for the very first time in the ArcGIS Scene Viewer. As a beta feature, it opens up a world of possibilities for users to explore 3D scenes and provide valuable feedback for how to utilize 3D Basemaps in their work. Brace yourself for an experience as the World Topographic 3D Basemap takes center stage, offering a seamless starting point with trees, buildings, and labels in a single click, just like how you would pick a 2D Basemap.      Is data preparation the most time-consuming part of your workflow? Do you have datasets you want to bring to, and use in ArcGIS? Is your data difficult to clean? If these problems sound familiar to you, then the new Data Pipelines might be for you.  Data Pipelines is a new native data integration capability of ArcGIS Online that makes it faster and easier to access, prepare, and integrate data. With Data Pipelines, you can: Connect to datasets in your external data stores, like Amazon S3 or Snowflake Ingest public data that is accessible via URL, such as datasets found in open data portals or a downloadable CSV provided by your local county Filter and clean your data using data processing tools, like Filter by attribute, Select fields, and Remove duplicates Enhance your data by joining it with information from Living Atlas layers using the Join tool, or use Arcade functions to calculate field values using the Calculate field tool Easily integrate and clean data in ArcGIS Online with an easy-to-use drag-and-drop interface Create reproducible, no-code data prep workflows Learn more about Data Pipelines: https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/arcgis-online/announcements/introducing-data-pipelines-beta-in-arcgis-online/   Product Updates: ArcGIS Online (June 2023) ArcGIS Scene Viewer (June 2023) ArcGIS Dashboards (June 2023) ArcGIS StoryMaps (June 2023) ArcGIS Experience Builder (June 2023) ArcGIS Field Maps (June 2023) ArcGIS Survey123 (June 2023) ArcGIS Business Analyst Web App (June 2023) ArcGIS Velocity (June 2023)     TGI5s TGI5 Episode 077 - Managing ArcGIS Online Content with ArcGIS Dashboards and ArcGIS Notebooks    Meetups & Events   The annual Esri UC is next week and there is plenty of telecom specific sessions and activities.  Be sure to check out the Telecom Industry Flyer and Story Map below for details. Telecommunications Sessions and Activities UC23 Flier  A Guide to Esri UC 2023 | Infrastructure   We'll also be hosting a Telecom User Community meetup at UC, so be sure to RSVP below and we'll see you all at Coin-Op following the Infrastructure social event.  Esri UC - Event Meetup  Where? Coin-Op Game Room 789 Sixth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101 https://coinopgameroom.com/pages/gaslamp When? Tuesday, July 11, 2023 8:30 PM – 10:00 PM** **directly following the telecom social at the Hilton Indigo Terrace / Pool   Esri IMGIS, Oct. 10-12 - CALL FOR PRESENTATIONS The Esri Infrastructure Management & GIS Conference presents a unique opportunity to share your GIS success story with your peers from the global user community. The deadline to submit an abstract for your presentation has been extended to July 21, 2023. Submit your abstract     Telecom Insights Billions of dollars are earmarked for modernizing the US broadband system so it is equitable, reliable, and affordable. Government departments and internet service providers are key players. Together, they will provide better connections to education, telehealth, work, and entertainment—especially in underserved communities. ArcGIS integrates business systems, resulting in forward-thinking investments across a project lifecycle. Government departments can see what’s happening where and set priorities. Telecoms can plan, deliver, and operate on time and on budget. Explore the new ebook below to learn how GIS is powering equitable and profitable broadband infrastructure. Extending Broadband's Reach to Those Who Need It Most eBook   For more insights, be sure to sign up for the Telecom News newsletter at esri.com/telecom.     Previous Bits & Bytes: TelUC Bits & Bytes Newsletter - March 2023  TelUC Bits & Bytes Newsletter - April 2023  TelUC Bits & Bytes Newsletter - May 2023    ... View more

  News & Updates A common question that comes up for users that are moving to branch versioning is 'how do I perform the same types of QA/QC workflows that I’m used to doing with traditional versioning?' Branch versioning’s flat, one-tiered version tree does not allow for an intermediate QA version, so what is the alternative work around? Read up on branch versioning and how to implement versioning workflows: https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/arcgis-pro/data-management/qa-qc-workflow-with-branch-versioned-data/     For those that been tracking the the Log4j vulnerabilities, please take a look at this update blog which offers recommendations and ArcGIS patches. https://www.esri.com/arcgis-blog/products/arcgis-enterprise/administration/arcgis-software-and-cve-2021-44228-aka-log4shell-aka-logjam/   Storm season is quickly approaching. Whether it's hurricanes, tornadoes, or wildfires, natural disasters can cause immense damage to telecom infrastructure and loss of critical telecom services.  ArcGIS can be used as a tool to help mitigate damage and help get networks back up and running as soon as possible. The Outage Damage Assessment solution can be stood up very quickly as a comprehensive set of apps for managing and collecting damage assessments.   Deploy Outage Damage Assessment  TGI5 - Episode 024 - Outage Damage Assessment Solution   And if your organization is impacted by a natural disaster and needs assistance responding, Esri's Disaster Response Program (DRP) assists organizations responding to disasters or crises worldwide as part of our corporate citizenship. We support response efforts with GIS technology and disaster response expertise when an organization’s capacity is exceeded. Learn more or request assistance: https://www.esri.com/en-us/disaster-response/overview   Product Updates: ArcGIS StoryMaps (May 2023) ArcGIS Enterprise 11.1 on Kubernetes ArcGIS Image Dedicated (May 2023) ArcGIS QuickCapture (May 2023)     TGI5s TGI5 - Episode 073 - ArcGIS Survey123 and Ookla Speedtest Custom  TGI5 - Episode 074 - Adding Custom Basemaps to the Basemap Switcher  TGI5 - Episode 075 - Top 10 ArcGIS Web Services - Pt. 1  TGI5 - Episode 076 - Top 10 ArcGIS Web Services - Pt. 2      Meetups & Events The Telecom User Community held two meetups in May. One in-person meetup at the Esri Denver Regional Office and the second was a virtual meetup. Thanks to all who out to the Denver Mile High Meetup.   The virtual meetup was the second Telecom GIS in 60 Minutes webinar which focused on Spatial Analysis and the new tools and engines available in ArcGIS. Watch the recording of the session below, and we'll see you all at the next meetup! TGI60 - Spatial Analysis (recording)   Also, the annual Esri UC is coming up quick! Registration for the event is open. We'll also be planning a Telecom User Community meetup at the event, so be sure to RSVP below and stay tuned for more details. https://www.esri.com/en-us/about/events/uc/overview Esri UC - Event Meetup      GIS Heroes These heroes are leaders within the GIS community and true GIS champions. As proven problem solvers, they have gained deep respect from colleagues. Their genuine love of this technology inspires others to imagine how GIS can help them achieve their own ambitious goals. Join us in celebrating these industry leaders who are making a difference in the telecom community every day. Scott Johnson | Norvado A GIS specialist, Scott used his 18 years of telecom industry experience to create a robust ArcGIS Enterprise-based system that helps the Norvado team stay ahead of their competition. The system demonstrates high levels of detail and accuracy and is truly extraordinary, especially considering the limited number of resources that were available to create it.   Sierra Alcantra | MTA Sierra is a GIS systems supervisor who specializes in plant facilities and records management for Matanuska Telephone Association (MTA) in Palmer, Alaska. She began her career at MTA in 1990 as a high school intern for the Outside Plant Engineering department. Her drafting and computer experience along with her passion for knowledge and technology allowed her to quickly find a niche in the telecom industry. Over the last 33 years, Sierra worked on several MTA plant facility software and database migrations. The newest transformation leverages Esri products and is the one she is most excited about.    Inez Beszterda | Orange Polska Inez is a mobile network systems design expert who manages GIS in Orange Polska’s Mobile Network department. She conducts advanced spatial analysis that supports decision-making and is responsible for the unit’s GIS strategy and development. Inez studied geoinformation at Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Poland, and received an Erasmus+ grant to study at the University of Portsmouth in the United Kingdom. She actively promotes GIS and participates in projects that support women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.   Nominate a GIS Hero Today!     Telecom Insights Esri Honored at Liberty Latin America Tech Summit This March at its inaugural Tech Summit, Liberty Latin America recognized Esri with an Innovative Small Suppliers Award at the summit’s 2023 Vendor Awards. The telecommunications company serving Latin America and the Caribbean honored Esri, the global leader in geographic information system (GIS) technology at the event which showcased the contributions made by key vendor partners. Esri was one of five suppliers to be recognized for their contributions to Liberty Latin America’s telecom service innovations. Read more about this recognition: https://www.esri.com/about/newsroom/announcements/esri-honored-at-liberty-latin-america-tech-summit/ For more insights, be sure to sign up for the Telecom News newsletter at esri.com/telecom.     Previous Bits & Bytes: TelUC Bits & Bytes Newsletter - March 2023  TelUC Bits & Bytes Newsletter - April 2023    ... View more

  Welcome back to Telecom GIS in 5 Minutes. In this episode we discuss the second half of our top 10 ArcGIS web services. We provide an overview of the service type and mention a few pros and cons of using that service type in your web mapping. The service types covered in this episode are: scene services, geocode services, geoprocessing services, routing services, stream services, and OGC services.   Details on ArcGIS Web Services: Map Services - https://enterprise.arcgis.com/en/server/11.0/publish-services/windows/what-is-a-map-service.htm Feature Services - https://enterprise.arcgis.com/en/server/11.0/publish-services/windows/what-is-a-feature-service-.htm Vector Tile Services - https://enterprise.arcgis.com/en/server/11.0/publish-services/windows/vector-tile-services.htm Image Services - https://enterprise.arcgis.com/en/server/11.0/publish-services/windows/key-concepts-for-image-service... Scene Services - https://enterprise.arcgis.com/en/server/11.0/publish-services/windows/scene-services.htm Geocode Services - https://enterprise.arcgis.com/en/server/11.0/publish-services/windows/geocode-services.htm Geoprocessing Services - https://enterprise.arcgis.com/en/server/11.0/publish-services/windows/what-is-a-geoprocessing-servic... Network Analysis/Routing Services - https://enterprise.arcgis.com/en/server/11.0/publish-services/windows/what-is-a-routing-service.htm Stream Services - https://enterprise.arcgis.com/en/server/11.0/publish-services/windows/stream-services.htm OGC Services - https://enterprise.arcgis.com/en/server/11.0/publish-services/windows/ogc-support-in-arcgis-server.htm   Until next time, we're out.  ... View more