A solution to mobile data overload?
3G offload onto Wi-Fi offers a viable solution for telcos to deal with the data overload on mobile networks, particularly in high traffic volume areas. This is the opinion of Mark van Vuuren, MD of Jasco ICT Solutions.
Van Vuuren says that mobile phone usage has grown exponentially, and with the increased popularity of smartphones that can access the Internet and social media, which requires connectivity, mobile operators are finding themselves increasingly unable to cope with the sheer volumes of data traffic.
Compounding this issue is the added burden of data from a variety of 3G modems, which also use up capacity. This not only affects the speed of data, but the quality of voice calls, since voice is also run on the 3G network.
Van Vuuren notes that Long Term Evolution (LTE) has been seen as the solution to 3G data overload.
“However, red tape around LTE spectrum in South Africa has resulted in much of this spectrum remaining unallocated to telcos and thus unused, and the potential for this data medium is as yet untapped.”
“This means that Telco operators need to look at alternative methods in the short- to medium-term to reduce data traffic on their networks, so that the integrity of voice calls can be preserved and customers retained,” he said.
Jasco believes that 3G offload onto Wi-Fi offers a viable solution for telcos to deal with the data overload on mobile networks, particularly in high traffic volume areas.
“Wi-Fi is an open spectrum technology which is designed specifically to handle data traffic, and the technology is available to offload data usage onto Wi-Fi, freeing up 3G and 2G networks for voice traffic and improving customer service quality,” van Vuuren said.
He points out that LTE, although a robust 4G technology, can not yet fully be utilised until the regulatory debate surrounding spectrum allocation can be resolved.
He adds that the cost of Wi-Fi deployment is far lower than the cost of creating additional 3G capacity, with the added benefit that it uses unlicensed bands so there is more spectrum available and operators can more easily acquire additional frequency.
“Evolution in Wi-Fi technology too has made it more applicable to large areas, and even for outdoor coverage, and the upcoming 802.11ac standard is set to increase the speed, range and coverage of Wi-Fi enabled devices.”
Wi-Fi began with very small capacity of 50 kilobits, and we are now up to 600 megabit speeds. The new 802.11ac standard will increase this to 1.5 gigabits, with devices already being tested and commercial roll-out of this standard set for 2013, Jasco argues.
“Cloud technology also adds to the viability of Wi-Fi networks in a commercial sense, as a large proportion of the controlling and network management tools can now be delivered as a cloud services, meaning that multiple access points can be delivered using a centralised controller,” van Vuuren said.
This means that a controller is not needed for every site, further driving down the cost of deployment.
According to Jasco, Wi-Fi data services also present an opportunity for fixed line operators to compete against mobile operators, by deploying Wi-Fi hotspots to pull traffic onto their network. The group says that public access Wi-Fi technology is gaining traction internationally.
Jasco says there are challenges involved in incorporating multiple technologies onto a single network.
“The customer requires continuous quality of service, a seamless handover, and single billing for data no matter what technology is utilised. Carriers looking to implement 3G offload need to ensure that their solutions will seamlessly hand the user off between 3G and Wi-Fi, and that operators can easily incorporate this into billing,” van Vuuren stressed.
“Integration and backend should be seamless, otherwise adoption rates will be low and investment will be wasted. A sound business model for charging of Wi-Fi data roaming also needs to be built to ensure profitability for operators as well as high levels of customer services,” he added.
Jasco concludes that by using 3G offload onto Wi-Fi to deliver a portion of data requirements can result in cost reductions of up to 60% on traditional 3G deployments, leaving room for profitability as well as improved customer service.
By Mark van Vuuren, MD of Jasco ICT Solutions.
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