Data offload survival guide, a phased approach – simple offload for phase 1

WHITEPAPER

DATA OFFLOAD SURVIVAL GUIDE, A PHASED APPROACH -
SIMPLE OFFLOAD FOR PHASE 1

www.greenpacket.com

WHITEPAPER

Abstract

The essence of communication has extended beyond voice and text
messaging. As consumers become more immersed and engrossed in the
delight of instantaneous communication, the expectations of mobile
experience is a necessity for constant engagement in a variety of ever
changing mobile devices in the market. Today’s mobile devices have
evolved from simple voice-centric feature to a range of complex,
data-centric application and services support. According to a recent report,
Mobile Content and Services Forecasts (2011-16) from Informa, mobile
operators’ share of app-led service revenues can increase as a result to the
growing role of carrier billing. But beyond messaging and Internet access,
operators have little stakes in the content and services space, i.e. perceived
as transport pipeline.

One clearly sees that the offload movement in any form of technology (i.e.
Wi-Fi, small cells), deployment strategy (public, private, hotspot zones) and
pricing strategy is hot on every service provider’s agenda with telcos being
hit the hardest. The growth in mobile traffic will far outstrip the growth in
revenues whilst global mobile data traffic will see eighteen1 fold increase
between 2011 and 2016. Services that put the greatest strain on mobile
networks won’t necessarily be the ones that bring the most revenue. The
top three data hogging2 culprits on mobile devices over the few years can
be categorized into applications, video streaming and web browsing.
Despite that, video streaming revenues are projected to be less than 1% of
mobile data revenue in 2016 that pales in comparison.

This paper will provide insights into the rationale and understanding to
convert the data challenge to revenue opportunity. Data crunch has led
many to consider data offloading in various deployment modes and stages.
Before launching into a data offload movement, we examine the crucial
elements that spell cost savings, service level differentiation, monetization
and setting the foundation for the right type of QoS and QoE.

1Source : Cisco VNI :Global Data
Mobile Traffic Forecast
Update, 2011-2016

2Source : Informa Telecoms & Media

WHITEPAPER

Contents

Overview 01

Are You Ready for Offload? 02

Burning Issues for Carrier

Offload to Any Wi-Fi

What’s Next After Offload to Any Wi-Fi?

Shaping Offload Elegantly

How to Simple Offload in Phase 1 07

Offload Industry Hot Picks 10

Integration

Next Generation Hotspot & Hotspot 2.0

Cloud and Wi-Fi

Conclusion 12

Unlock Opportunities with Simple Offload 13

WHITEPAPER Overview - 01

Overview

Not too long ago, Wi-Fi technology was undermined in the wireless world.
Carriers didn’t want to lose their tightly controlled traffic or be associated
with the stereotypical sub-standard Wi-Fi technology. But after the first
shock wave of iPhone’ s debut and how it caused a series of major carrier’s
service disruption, carriers were beginning to feel the pressure. Shortly after,
the Android craze caught up and nearly immediately intensified the data
crunch problem.

For operators looking to provide ubiquitous and seamless service for voice,
data and messaging particularly in dense public areas, now have a robust
and scalable option – through intelligent client-based solution that
combines the best of data offloading practices. Offloading does not
necessarily solve all of the operator’s issues, but suggests an alternative
phased approach to tackle congestion appropriate to the carrier’s business
model without incurring multi-million dollar and multi-year investments at
any one time – reshaping systems that allow them to brand and bundle next
generation services.

Greenpacket gives a deep dive into the workings of an offload solution
which switches the mobile device over to Wi-Fi for data when possible
either turning on/off Wi-Fi radio. The application runs transparently in the
background by sending notifications for adjusting the device settings
accordingly. In simple terms, turning off the things you don’t need and
conserving a phone’s limited resources, like battery power and
performance related to network bandwidth. The critical objective is
ensuring that the subscriber should not see a visible difference or have to
take any extra steps to experience quality delivery of voice, data,
multimedia every time. As operators continue to build out advanced
networks across a variety of spectrum ranges, Greenpacket’s intelligent
offload solution ensures their core service offerings continue to deliver on
the promise of ubiquitous access through simplicity and mobility.

WHITEPAPER Are You Ready for Offload? - 02

Are You Ready for Offload?

Do you often experience service disruption or unable to connect to your
cellular network to access data services – most likely to occur when you
need to send the most important email for example? Incidents like this are
not uncommon, when multiple users are trying to access the network,
similar to a new years’ eve situation when the network is overwhelmed and
unable to cope with the added traffic and stress. It’s not that difficult to
comprehend, if your customers get disgruntled and the fault is obviously
pointed at the operator that fails to live up. They have to turn to alternative
networks such as Wi-Fi to be able to enjoy a reasonable service level
although not guaranteed.

Carrier Wi-Fi now features highly within the operator’s environment. It
makes perfect sense to take a proactive approach, as they hold the key to
the billing relationship to their customers. Previously, Wi-Fi solutions were
different with consumer Wi-Fi within the residential and enterprise-type
deployment. Occasionally with sporadic coverage in urban centers either
through private partnerships like municipal mesh type networks, it failed to
capture the essence of Wi-Fi that was virtually a zero revenue model with
little incentive for operators to deploy them.

Mobile data offload to Wi-Fi in today’s terms is nothing new, but scorned at
due to the negative sentiments that stem from the more established
wireless technology practices. Issues of authentication, security, roaming
and reliability becomes a thing of the past with Wireless Broadband Alliance
(WBA) and Wi-Fi Alliance standards work underway that brings together
operators and vendors to realize the bigger plans for Hotspot 2.0.


Burning Issues for Carrier
Carriers now face a very real prospect of struggling for viability and
becoming little more than data pipes. In order to avoid this fate, they must
re-invent the way they manage their business, generate revenue and
control costs. Forget the LTE hype for a moment, re-invent the network.
The network is the means to a business objective, not the objective. In
retrospect, it’s not the fastest, flashiest networks that will build the customer
relationship. It’s not what you do it’s how you do it that counts.

For most parts, carriers building out a completely new Wi-Fi carrier network
would be too costly as it would require many access points to provide
comprehensive coverage. It’s best to share network resources wherever
possible, potentially partnering with Wi-Fi aggregators. By avoiding long
internal test cycles and field deployment they can get to market much
quicker, and spend their time more effectively monitoring feedback and
responding to customer demands.

Subscribers are familiar with Wi-Fi in the ways they use it in the home if they
have fixed broadband access, at office and at public free hotspots in a wide
variety of locations such as bars, coffee shops, hotels, restaurants and
supermarkets. Offloading can be realized only if there is enough high quality
Wi-Fi access. As Wi-Fi coverage is limited by regulations to a very small
footprint, meaningful Wi-Fi utilization requires aggregating very large
amount of Wi-Fi access points of various types. Clearly the traditional
network management tools are insufficient for this task; a new, "out of the
box" solution is needed. The consumer market has become so
commoditized, that it means little to have the best prices in town although
it plays a factor in decision-making.

When carriers become more interested into why and how their subscribers
relate to their experiences, there is where the customer relationship
becomes solid. Greenpacket’s Simple Offload solution is focused on
discovery and qualification of Wi-Fi resources, managing heterogeneous
Wi-Fi networks to be utilized for traffic offloading - effectively creating one
large virtual, high performance network which can be used for data
offloading. Internet browsing, videos and online games will use Wi-Fi
connections where available.


Offload to Any Wi-Fi
Carrier Wi-Fi today is focused as a value-add service to attract users,
extend coverage, increase market share and help reduce churn. The value
proposition of Wi-Fi has taken a 360 turn in the operator’s strategy.
It’s benefit stem from the fact that it’s a familiar technology to manage
overcrowding on networks and is readily available. This allows the operator
to effectively expand the number of Wi-Fi hotspots available to subscribers,
while reducing the cost to build and maintain them. One such use case is
the need for offering 3G-Wi-Fi bundled service as a start to serve wider
strategic goals.

For a start, operators need to move these customers to any Wi-Fi wherever
possible, taking into consideration what subscribers want and would pay
for. Creating a new service offering with its own revenue stream specific to
a service is not the point here. Revenue reality is really far less achievable
than it was previously thought. Data offload is a vehicle to drive
monetization rather than the monetary unit itself. These opportunities are
clearer and easier to implement when the right conditions of network
integration, APIs and inter-working protocols are reached and thus opens
door to providing 3rd party applications and advertising in later stages.

Regardless of the operator owned Wi-Fi, public Wi-Fi or private Wi-Fi
set-up, subscribers are finding ways to reach the expanding video, music
and multimedia rich Internet services out there with sophisticated devices.
There are multiple reasons for operators needing Wi-Fi offload, for which we
describe Phase 1 approach of data offload in this paper.

For a given operator that has mobile network and limited by the number of
operator owned hotspot - in the interest of managing overcrowding, simply
offloading to any hotspot is a first step. This can either be achieved via
partner hotspot or crowd-sourcing mechanism. The central focus is
directing data traffic transparently to Wi-Fi whenever cellular network is
congested or unavailable. Within the context of data offload, operators can
incorporate to some extent policy-enabled decision making that is tied to
the attachment of Wi-Fi hotspots. In the subsequent stage of refining the
data offload deployment, operators can also leverage on device capable
analytics to feedback QoS performance and QoE of the offloaded traffic.


What’s Next After Offload to Any Wi-Fi?
Data offloading use case is not limited to congestion alone. There are other
drivers that compel carriers to consider an offloading approach. Some
questions of security, ownership, stability are raised when figuring out how
to include offload into the network architecture. Despite those thorny
issues, interest remains strong for offloading, whether through Wi-Fi or
small cell structures in areas where smartphone adoption is prevalent such
as markets in the U.S, North Asia and Europe. It’s not really that difficult -
plenty of opportunities for carriers to broaden the needs of customers and
to create a “least cost” data offering that would allow carriers to augment
their limited licensed spectrum. Increasingly, operators are responding to
the call of convergence.

Through unlimited Wi-Fi access (e.g. free Wi-Fi or chargeable Wi-Fi for
premium packages), carriers can combine the power of unified price plans
to increase customer stickiness and resulting lower churn in the long run.
Subscribers on the other hand, enjoy more VoIP calls availability when using
apps like Skype, stream video, music and unlimited surfing that does not
count against their data plan. Such operator bundles offer a route to paying
customers that might be far less time-consuming and less costly.

Ultimately, carriers are figuring out how much more revenue can be
generated by keeping existing subscribers satisfied and exploit the value of
Wi-Fi service bundling to convert rival subscribers to their network - these
subscribers are likely to be the high ARPU segments which demonstrate a
bigger appetite for data and willing to pay premium if needed to.


Shaping Offload Elegantly
A simple packaging of services and media products at a discounted rate
may not seem sophisticated, but has proved to be equally powerful.
The power of bundling can fight off technology threats like LTE.
Undoubtedly, LTE comes with substantially higher speeds, but network
speed is not the same as network capacity. Cellular spectrum was never
meant to carry the types of video and high-bandwidth traffic that users are
now pushing across it.

Whether delivered by Wi-Fi or LTE the high-bandwidth traffic still continues.
It is still just a radio access technology and the users value the convenience
and accessibility- whichever delivers. Smarter pipes are what carriers need
now in order to make bundles more attractive and move towards a next
generation network fit for multi-screen experience. Wi-Fi provides a
convincing strategy to keep many smartphone and tablet users in need of
quality connectivity.

Operators face major challenges in improving the mobile broadband user
experience, given the current lack of intelligence at device or application
level. To complement advanced implementations of data offload, operators
can combine policy control to tiered services with gradations of bandwidth
and service priority to increase their value proposition of smarter networks.
The policy control measures can be device driven and coherently integrated
at the network level. Decidedly, operators should look into the areas of
mobile broadband analytics to bring the data offload strategy to a higher
level – as this will become an important tool to fully understand how their
subscribers behave in relation to the types of data traffic that is generated.

WHITEPAPER How to Simple Offload in Phase 1 - 07

How to Simple Offload in Phase 1

There are alternate pathways for carriers to deliver these next generation
services, without compromising their networks. Just because carriers do
not want to wait for standards for reasons beyond economical
considerations, doesn’t mean that they have to turn their backs on it.
Carriers can deliver the services that the user want now and can still be
standards based technology supported, not necessarily standards based
architecture. Standards specifications regularly go through revision cycles
that can create some functional mismatches at different stages of the
versions, before it hits the market late by a differential 2-5 years timeframe.

Instead of risking further market erosion, carriers can eliminate the
time-to-market gap by partnering a growing number of solution vendors to
provide the next generation of services. Carriers have core assets that
they’re not leveraging enough and finding it hard to part with their privately
guarded-services that is quickly displaced by over-the-top (OTT) services.
Rather than resisting OTT, carriers should open doors to those services into
an offload environment.

While implementations providing complete functionalities defined by
standards mature completely by two to three years time, Greenpacket is
market-ready to deploy via Simple Offload. The Simple Offload aims to make
the user experience over Wi-Fi seamless and at the same time helps operator
unlock the opportunity of hotspot monetization. The component of Simple
Offload consists of client software and the centralized provisioning server
(CPS) to manage the device and network-centric performance measures.
Access to Wi-Fi today is still predominantly manual, confusing and frustrating
at most. Usability and accessibility of Wi-Fi ranges far and wide between
varying types of user devices from failure of Wi-Fi hotspot identification, failure
of attachment to Wi-Fi APs or SSIDs which may seem elusive at times, and
uncertainty of credentials. What frustrates most is upon successful
connection to Wi-Fi, service is unavailable to the extent of congestion. How
can operators ensure carrier Wi-Fi avoids such deficiencies?


Without Smart Wi-Fi Offload Smart Wi-Fi Offload

Wi-Fi (On)

Wi-Fi (Off)

3G (On)

3G Wi-Fi Wi-Fi Range 3G

Policy Zone
Connection inaccessible.
Please enter security key.
SMODE SMODE You are out
is in HOTSPOT has connected of hotspot area.
READY MODE. you to a hotspot. Please turn
Click here to find SMODE is in OFF Wi-Fi
more information CONNECTED to save battery!
on the hotspots. MODE.

Figure 1 : Greenpacket Simple Offload

The Simple Offload leverages the device control to turn on/off Wi-Fi and
closely integrates into the operator’s existing network infrastructure. It
simply notifies the user wherever Wi-Fi is available and guides them to
accept Wi-Fi connectivity and takes care of the credentials automatically
based on the quality of relationship they maintain with their customers, as
long as the device supports the various types of authentication within.
When the user leaves the Wi-Fi hotspot, the Wi-Fi connection will be turned
off. The turning on/off of Wi-Fi radio can significantly conserve battery
power. The added advantage of the Simple Offload comes with the
assurance that the migration path towards ANDSF standards compliance
can be achieved at the later stage and smooth integration with core
network processes involving billing and charging. Based on the level of
quality operators deliver and the billing relationship they maintain with
customers, carriers can have the competitive advantage that hold the keys
to the implementation of innovative product offerings together with OTT
players and share in the revenue.


Another dimension that Simple Offload adds is the intelligent network
optimization through device and data offload analytics capability that can
offer high quality of service for users without decreased coverage, making
Wi-Fi more accessible for customers. The analytics engine is able to pull
from device connection logic to evaluate the QoS of access points that is
accessed to influence and deploy connection policy unique to a specific
time and condition to achieve more efficient offload. Reports of data usage,
access point frequented, average throughput, experienced latency are
powerful information - navigate both device-level and network-level
performance. This provides a more complete view of customer-centric
issues that many existing service provider solutions lack.

As Wi-Fi environment becomes crowded, it will become more important to
manage the execution of offload. Existing solutions provide little guidance to
help selection of access points. This is an issue as service providers do not
want connection management solutions to act unless their actions will
improve service quality. And thus, with an intelligent analytics engine,
operators can be conscious of automated performance improvement. The
provided analysis makes it clear where offloading would have the greatest
user impact.

Network Analysis Dashboard

Analytic Reporting Server

Simple Offload Client

Figure 2 : Simple Offload transparent device and network analytics

WHITEPAPER Offload Industry Hot Picks - 10

Offload Industry Hot Picks

The consumer market has been commoditizing, but there’s still room for
revenue growth, and one of the ways to go about is shifting the approach
related to market dynamics. A closer integration of network-centric
measure for coverage and connectivity together with device-centric
analytics can give a multi-dimensional intelligence to improve the mobile
broadband experience. It is not enough to just have data offload as a
means to today’s network need, but to be robust enough to withstand
changing business models.

Integration
Very often, transformation of practices and any large scale movement is
spurred by industry-wide adoption. It is no more different as in the data
offload movement leveraging over Wi-Fi. While attractive for its simplicity
and wide adoption in user equipment today, Wi-Fi, nevertheless, is not yet
fully overcome in terms of the fundamentals of telecommunications, similar
to other wireless systems, it is not exclusive of interference and its capacity
has limits to some extent and thus is more likely a case of balancing act
between coverage, capacity needs wherever needed.

A greater challenge for operators is to incorporate offloaded traffic into their
existing policy control and charging architecture. Some clarity is needed
including highly desirable QoS measures in order to deliver a seamless
experience. These attributes contribute to a deeper understanding of the
granular interworking necessary to live up to the promise of converged
hybrid network. As such, it is impacting the way operators build networks,
establish connectivity and leverage intelligence. The shift of smarter pipes
and stronger desire to retain visibility of customers in the race for market
share is sure to keep operators on their toes. And the only way to push
ahead is having ownership to the customer relationship. Time and again,
studies show that users are no more loyal to their provider than before,
when it comes to price plans. It’s a matter of which provider that is able to
deliver the value of convenience, variety and experience.

WHITEPAPER Offload Industry Hot Picks - 11

Next Generation Hotspot & Hotspot 2.0
The move towards seamless Wi-Fi interworking is more pronounced now, that
for the first time operators and vendors are committed to making NGH and
Hotspot 2.0 a success. Instead of sitting on the fence, they are more willing to
join trials in the aim of influencing the standardization. By taking a more
proactive role, operators gain from building as many Wi-Fi relationships early on
– so they can potentially put their monies up for wholesale opportunities.

One of the key highlights central to operators is the strict requirements on
making both device and user authentication to ensure integrity and security of
the network is not compromised, when incorporating Wi-Fi as part of the mobile
services strategy. With Hotspot 2.0, it will allow devices to easily discover Wi-Fi
roaming relationships, determine and automate network discovery, registration,
provisioning and establish network connectivity securely. Session mobility is
very important when a user moves between Wi-Fi and cellular, so that the
connection does not drop. On top of that, it also opens up ambitions to throw
in location-aware services. As the number of hotspots multiply, so does the
need to ensure handoffs and policy enforcement over time to improve.

Cloud and Wi-Fi
With the migration of network and systems to an all IP-based architecture –
the cloud infrastructure is the way forward. Perhaps it’s still early and
questionable to the verdict of potential cost savings and efficiency of
positioning the cloud within the operator’s agenda. However, industry
analysts are suggesting the potential for long-tail wireless opportunity for
operators, communication service providers and vendors to collaborate to
close the gap between public and private networks. In the long run, M2M
applications will work alongside both cellular and Wi-Fi in complement.
Operators need to be prepared to react to changing business models and
stay relevant on the communication pyramid - it should be a natural
extension to leverage on M2M capabilities. Notably, Vodafone and AT&T are
already experimenting with M2M platforms. It should be noted however,
M2M applications require stricter service levels like in healthcare, public
safety and automotive industry. With the expanding range of addressable
objects and use case, it may be well worth the investment into carrier-grade
Wi-Fi proposition following market demand, technology and vendor
capabilities are increasingly aligned.

WHITEPAPER Conclusion - 12

Conclusion

Continued aggressive growth in data traffic as a result in increased
smartphones, video and application usage has created an urgent need for
faster and efficient networks. Figuring an approach to make systems
extensible and scalable is important to the success of effective data offload
strategies that bridge the gaps of disparate systems. Operators are aware
that their share of overall value-added-service revenues will drop
considerably over the next few years and in need of a plan. Rocked by a
series of challenges and price cuts, operators are reacting with multiple
initiatives - big names like Telefonica, Vodafone and Orange are urging for
rich communication suite (RCS). The RCS technology is designed and built
into device platform to enable users to use new multimedia communication
services on any network and with any smartphone. But, would this industry
initiative be a desperate attempt that is a little too late to dissuade users from
the popular OTT? The success or failure of RCS is still anyone’s guess.

Inevitably smartphones, mobile broadband and the ongoing transition to all-IP
networks will transform the mobile industry to greater speeds and
performance. At the same time, over-the-top (OTT) players are disrupting the
user experience on mobile and impacting the bottom lines of many established
telco giants if not all. Social messaging apps have taken a large effect. There is
a window of opportunity for carriers to innovate internally, re-think business
models and embrace the services and reach out to consumers that enjoy OTT
services with the appropriate attitude to data offload.

Of course, some questions are raised on getting complementary networks
to work in perfect unison and allow seamless roaming altogether. Would it
complicate the existing infrastructure to accommodate and help operators
recoup ROI that were previously lost out to OTT players? What is needed is
a phased approach to respond to the rapidly growing need for content-level
service differentiation and new monetization strategies. Data offloading may
not necessarily be a rescue to every situation but it can serve to address
operator issues incrementally without causing major disruption to the
existing network. The current industry outlook is promising with some
forward looking vendors that have taken a strategic or tactical approach to
draw notice–for example, Ericsson’s acquisition of BelAir and
Alcatel-Lucent’s Wi-Fi light radio – both have 3G and LTE alongside its
portfolio which is indicative that operator demands are driving and wanting
more out of the Wi-Fi experience, while vendors are constantly looking out
for solutions to meet those needs.

WHITEPAPER Unlock Opportunities with Simple Offload - 13

Unlock Opportunities with
Simple Offloa

The principle of traditional networking is challenged to meet new demands of
the future. A focus for a leaner and more agile network is not just valuable to
your networks, but also a higher degree of trusted customer-oriented service
stability that is responsive to your subscribers. Turn your challenges into
opportunities as we introduce a phased approach for data offload strategy.

Embark on a journey with Greenpacket to discover the value-add of
offloading and start realizing the possibilities for growth.

With Greenpacket, you bring value to your subscribers and become their
partner of communication needs.

Free Consultation

If you would like a free consultation on how you can leverage data offload
solutions for enhanced network performance and user experience, feel free
to contact us at marketing.gp@greenpacket.com. Kindly quote the
reference code, SWP0712-P1 when you contact us.

For more information on Greenpacket’s products and solutions, Associate
please contact us at marketing.gp@greenpacket.com Member

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