Operators strategy for supporting the ‘Mobile Data Explosion’

Operators strategy for supporting the ‘Mobile
Data Explosion’
Zahid Ghadialy
Managing Director, eXplanoTech Ltd.
18/04/2012

Briefly about eXplanoTech
Non-Confidential
© eXplanoTech Ltd.
2
Technical Consulting
• Requirement Analysis
• Project Management
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• Design, Implementation, Integration &
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• Testing Services (inc. IOT, CAT, Conformance, Field)
• Maintenance
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Resourcing and Recruitment
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• Managed Services
• Technology and Business Intelligence domains

Agenda
 Statistics and the Problem(s) summarised
 A look at ‘Network Capacity’ calculation
 Small Cells
 WiFi
 New features in 3GPP Standards
 Spectrum Issues
 TV White Spaces (TVWS)
 Carrier Aggregation
 Dynamic Spectrum Management (DSM)
 Case Study of a US Operator
Non-Confidential
© eXplanoTech Ltd.
3

Mobile data exploding – Random scary stats
 Median smartphone data usage at
AT&T was up 888% and up 551% at
Verizon this past year.
 In 2009, the top 3% of heavy users
generated 40% of wireless
network traffic. Now, these users
account for 70% of the traffic.
 The heaviest users of mobile data
watched videos 40% of the time,
surfed the Web an additional 20%,
and used up the rest of their
online time in e-mails, social
networking, file sharing and
software downloads.
Non-Confidential
© eXplanoTech Ltd.
4

Data Explosion: Myth and Reality
 The mobile data is not growing
as fast as was initially expected.
 This does not mean that the
operators do not have to
worry about coping with the
data demand
 Data traffic vs Revenues may
not be as bad as initially
thought
Non-Confidential
© eXplanoTech Ltd.
5
Time
Traffic
Revenues
Time
Traffic
Revenues
Initial Prediction
Based on current data

The Good News
Non-Confidential
© eXplanoTech Ltd.
6
 There is still a huge market for accessing internet/data on the phones

The Bad News
Non-Confidential
© eXplanoTech Ltd.
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 Infograph Source: http://www.localytics.com/blog/2012/only-6-of-ipad-app-
sessions-on-cellular-connection/
 Users want ‘true unlimited’ data plans from
their operators
 WiFi is always the preferred choice of the users
to access data:
 Its easy to setup and use in the modern devices
 Different reports point out that most of data from the
tablets do not go through the operators networks
 More phone users are switching on WiFi for data
usage
 Localytics, an App analytic company found in
the USA that 89.7% of iPad sold are WiFi only.
Among iPad’s with 3G connectivity 55% usage
is over WiFi and in LTE iPad’s, 64% usage is
WiFi

The problems summarised
Operators
 How to generate more revenue
and recoup investment in Next-
G networks
 How to get more users to use
the mobile networks
 How to optimise the networks
so there are no bottlenecks
 Increase network capacity to
handle more users
 Better cell edge coverage for
the users
 How to monetise the usage of
WiFi
Users
 How to get cheapest possible
(unlimited) data plan with
fastest possible access (4G)
 How to avoid ‘Bill shock’ and
reduce network usage
 How to get better coverage
and reduce latency
 Why does the loading of pages
fail sometimes
 Why does loading of pages take
too much time
 How to get access to more WiFi
hotspots without paying and
worrying about login & security
Non-Confidential
© eXplanoTech Ltd.
8

‘Network Capacity’ calculation
Non-Confidential
© eXplanoTech Ltd.
9
Network
Capacity
= Quantity of
Spectrum
x Cell
Spectrum
Efficiency
x Number of
Cells
(bps) (Hz) (bps Hz-1)

Since 1947 ‘Network Capacity’ has increased
by a Million
Non-Confidential
© eXplanoTech Ltd.
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But Data Usage has exploded as well
 The easiest way to increase the
number of cells is to have more
small(er) cells.
 The easiest way to cope with
this explosion is to increase the
number of cells
Non-Confidential
© eXplanoTech Ltd.
11

‘Small Cells’ to the rescue
 Small Cells has to happen:
 To improve speeds for users on Macro and on ‘small cells’
 To offload traffic and improve capacity of the network
 To improve coverage by reducing interference
Non-Confidential
© eXplanoTech Ltd.
12

But other problems may arise
 Operators expect users to pay for the ‘Small Cells’ but
most users expect them for free, especially business users
 If ‘Small Cells’ are not planned properly then they can
cause interference with the network and create coverage
black holes
 The data traffic still has to go through the operators
network and handling high amounts of data can still be a
problem for the operator
 The ISP’s are not happy with carrying operator traffic and
may cause problems or ask for compensation
 Even though the Access security is improved for the user,
the operator is exposing the network to potential hackers
Non-Confidential
© eXplanoTech Ltd.
13

‘WiFi’ – The real saviour?
 Over 1 billion units of WLAN chipsets are expected to ship this year
 Expected to double by 2014
 Operators that have deployed Carrier WiFi
 China Mobile – 1 million hotspots by end of 2013
 China Telecom – 1 million hotspots by end of 2012
 SK Telecom – 60,000 hotspots by end 2011
 Korea Telecom – 100,000 hotspots by end 2011
 KDDI, Japan – 90,000 by Q2 2012
 Skyhook (a company that pioneered WiFi based positioning system)
has already have over 250 million access points in its database [June
2011]
 Australian operator Telstra closed their Carrier WiFi network in Feb.
as they rolled out ‘Mobile WiFi’ based on LTE.
Non-Confidential
© eXplanoTech Ltd.
14

WiFi v/s Small Cells
WiFi (802.11n)
 No Spectrum constraints
 40MHz available in the 2.4GHz
band
 Latency is better than mobile
networks
 Throughput upto 600Mbps in
40MHz BW using 4x4 MIMO
 Radio cheap and already in
most new mobiles, laptops and
tablets.
Small Cells (HSPA+/LTE)
 Licensed Spectrum only
 Large bandwidths not always
possible
 Latency not as good as WiFi
 HSPA+ DL in Rel-11 upto
672Mbps and LTE DL in Rel-10
upto 600Mbps in 40MHz BW
using 4x4 MIMO.
 Radio expensive and not as
easily available in laptops and
tablets.
Non-Confidential
© eXplanoTech Ltd.
15

Benefits of Carrier WiFi
 ‘Offload’ mostly at traffic
hotspots like airports,
shopping malls, etc.
 Reduced price data on ‘Pay as
you use’ schemes.
 Reduced price data roaming
internationally. MVNO’s can
cash on this big time.
 ‘Onload’ when the data speeds
are low due to network
congestion.
 Can be offered to subscribers
using non-cellular devices as
‘perk’.
Non-Confidential
© eXplanoTech Ltd.
16

New features in 3GPP standards
 New features are being developed by 3GPP that are
intended to provide a value addition to the Mobile
Broadband offering and making it more integrated with
WiFi for value addition
 Local IP Access (LIPA) – Release 10
 Selected IP Traffic Offload (SIPTO) – Release 10
 IP Flow Mobility (IFOM) – Release 10
 Continuity of Data Sessions (CSN) – Study item in Release 12
Non-Confidential
© eXplanoTech Ltd.
17

Local IP Access (LIPA)
Non-Confidential
© eXplanoTech Ltd.
18
IP Core Network
Residential/Enterprise
IP Network
Scope for Local
IP Access
Logical connection for
mobile operator IP trafficHeNB

Selected IP Traffic Offload (SIPTO)
Non-Confidential
© eXplanoTech Ltd.
19
IP Core Network
IP Network
mobile operator IP trafficHeNB
Internet
Data Traffic

IP Flow Mobility (IFOM)
Non-Confidential
© eXplanoTech Ltd.
20
IP Core Network
IP Network
Data Traffic Path 1
Internet
Data Traffic Path 2

Continuity of Data Sessions (CSN)
Non-Confidential
© eXplanoTech Ltd.
21
HeNB
IP Core Network
IP Network
Scope for Local
IP Access
mobile operator IP traffic

TV White Spaces (TVWS)
 Main driver for TVWS is that they are in the sub 1GHz
band that can increase coverage significantly
Non-Confidential
© eXplanoTech Ltd.
22

Sub 1GHz band is ‘Platinum Band’ in Japan
Non-Confidential
© eXplanoTech Ltd.
23

Interference is the biggest Issue
Non-Confidential
© eXplanoTech Ltd.
24

Carrier Aggregation (CA)
 Contiguous and Non-Contiguous
 Multi-carrier
 Two 5MHz carriers in 2100MHz to make a 10MHz carrier
 Multi-band
 For example 5MHz from 2100MHz and another 5MHz from 900MHz
 LTE Inter-mode Carrier Aggregation
 Aggregating FDD and TDD bands
 Inter-technology Carrier Aggregation
 For example LTE & HSPA+
 Licensed-Unlicensed Carrier Aggregation
 LTE + WiFi
Non-Confidential
© eXplanoTech Ltd.
25

Things to remember for any Dynamic
Spectrum Management Techniques
 The operator network would have to implement the
technology but the devices would have to support the
bands
 The Spectrum would be generally available for use by all
operators and maybe other devices/technologies and it
would also vary from one area to another. As a result a
central authority would be required to handle this
 The government/authorities would not let this spectrum
be used for free, forever. As soon as a workable solution is
available they are bound to ask for some kind of fees.
 The whitespaces would be auctioned or sold in future and
it would have to be decided in advance if there is a case
for using them for a certain duration of time.
Non-Confidential
© eXplanoTech Ltd.
27

Case Study of a US Mobile Operator
Non-Confidential
© eXplanoTech Ltd.
28
Data reproduced with kind permission of Keima Wireless
using the ‘Overture’ tool

Non-Confidential
© eXplanoTech Ltd.
29
D.H. Ring, Bell Labs - Telephony - Wide Area Coverage, 11 December 1947D.H. Ring, Bell Labs - Telephony - Wide Area Coverage, 11 December 1947
1947

Operators strategy for supporting the ‘Mobile Data Explosion’

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