Data offloading: How can cellular operators build an effective wireless network?

The data avalanche effect in cellular networks

Exponential growth in smart mobile devices has fuelled demand for data service on wireless network. As an effect, likes and usage for bandwidth hungry web application is also growing among users. In past, cellular network was primary source for mobile users to quench their daily data need. But now, with multi-fold increase in their data appetite and lack of speed/bandwidth in traditional cellular networks, these mobile users are often left unsatisfied.

Today’s users have already started using “Phablet”, a device that can be used for both internet browsing and calling and looks like a tablet. These new generation gadgets are designed to be “Aways On” device and rarely turned off or shutdown. Hence, as soon as they connect to the network, various apps running on these devices start establishing persistent connections to their corresponding web service. Unlike voice call session, data session established by these devices rarely terminate. They keep consuming resources over the air. As the number of such devices grow, it becomes extremely difficult for cellular provider to handle exploding data upload/download requests and deliver promised quality of service to end user.

Diaspora of mobile users

A drift in user’s tendency to use data service as a new medium of communication is an alarming sign for cellular operators. It means, soon the above symptom may lead to fall in total number of voice call per circle. Following are the key reasons for user’s diaspora from cellular network:

• Availability of competitive wireless technology for offering wireless internet access: Even 3G/4G technology that offers high speed fails to make economic sense as the cost of one byte of user data is much higher in cellular networks compared to competitive Wi-Fi technology. One of the prime reasons for this multi-fold increase in the cost can be attributed to costly licensed frequency spectrum used by cellular networks to run data networking services. Wi-Fi uses unlicensed frequency spectrum and hence there is no cost associated with it. Hardware gears needed to implement a Wi-Fi network is also come cheap compared its cellular counterpart.
• User’s tendency to pull data content as per their convenience (both with respect to time and location): Majority of user base has already high speed broadband connection available at home or at workplace which is sufficient to meet their requirement. Though, there is high affinity among users for data applications, users themselves control schedule of accessing data applications and hence they plan it as per the availability of the service and convenience.
• Free wireless infrastructure for Internet access: A lot of local businesses are seeing great incentive for them in offering free Wi-Fi internet access to the customers. Businesses are leveraging wireless networking infrastructure as a customer engagement, loyalty and brand building tool. On the other hand, users find free Wi-Fi service as a good alternative to connect to the Internet when they are away from home or workplace.

Call to action

Operators need to focus on creating their foot–print of Wi-Fi networks at public places such as marketplace, railway stations, bus stand etc. While doing this they must ensure following:

1. User’s privacy and data protection: They must focus on building public Wi-Fi network which can provide privacy and data protection to all its users without requiring user’s involvement or dependency on third party client software or apps.
2. Seamless internet access: Users must be able to access internet seamlessly. An operator run Wi-Fi network should be simple to connect and access the Internet.
3. Collaboration versus domination: There are businesses which own and run their Wi-Fi network. Instead of trying to dominate, it would help cellular operators if they can simply collaborate with businesses and help build more Wi-Fi prints.
4. Low cost wireless infrastructure: Operators can further think of reducing the overall cost of Wi-Fi network by choosing smarter and cost effective solution available in the market.
5. Prepare to migrate to Hotspot 2.0 (HS 2.0): There is a huge gap between how today’s public Wi-Fi hotspot network is implemented and used and what HS 2.0 standard has proposed. The new standard also requires software/firmware upgrade on both wireless network and user equipment. Operators in country like India are going to face problem of managing heterogeneous set of mobile devices (devices with and without HS2.0 support). Operator should use Wi-Fi system that can be used to run multiple networks concurrently including HS2.0 enabled wireless network.

What Wi-Fi can do for single shop service businesses?

Technological advancement has always brought some kind of change in people’s lives. A similar shift can be observed happening in our lives as the penetration of smart mobile devices are increasing. Average internet usage per person can be seen going up due to presence of these Internet browsing capable smart handhelds and new medium of communication platform such as Facebook and Twitter. People are increasingly using social networking platform to stay in touch with family, friends and friend’s friends.

Interestingly, businesses can take benefit of user’s tendency of getting online frequently by providing user friendly and convenient option to connect to the Internet and thus deliver value added differentiated customer experience. One of such technologies is Wi-Fi. Businesses can use it for their own advantage in following ways:

Customer engagement: There are a lot of single shop service businesses or a chain of a business such as fine dining restaurants, beauty salons etc. where customers have to spend on an average 10-15 minutes before getting the service. Sometimes, professional services like beauty enhancement make customer sit idle for several minutes. By offering free Wi-Fi internet access, businesses can easily get customers engaged and let them use the idle time of service waiting period or processing period.

Free and effective social media marketing: Businesses can take advantage of wireless solution that can help get their customers redirected to the website or Facebook page of the businesses and ask them to like the product , service or business page in return of free wireless internet access. A like on Facebook immediately gets reflected to all connection of the customer thus businesses get free marketing of their brand among all connections of a visiting customer. A single shop local business heavily relies on local advertising medium as their prime customers are those who stay in the close proximity of these businesses. Facebook based social media marketing using existing satisfied customer is one the best form of effective, local advertising that today’s businesses must adopt.

Personalized greeting message: A lot of service businesses are looking for opportunity to greet their customers by their name in order to deliver unmatched personal touch in the service. This is hard to achieve using human resource as it is very difficult for people to remember each and every customer by their name. But businesses can use technology to greet their returning guest by their name with some custom message.

Why off-the-shelf Wi-Fi Access Point fails to meet above expectations?

A lot of wireless service providers are using low cost wireless gears available in the market to setup wireless internet access for the businesses. Unfortunately, these gears are only good to create a private wireless networks to be used in home environment. Wireless security implemented in these products is not suitable to be used in shared network environment as these wireless gears support common password. Once the password is shared among customers, it no more remains confidential information and may lead to unauthorized access by unwanted users sitting outside the fence of the shop. So, in order to protect unauthorized access to the Internet, it requires additional overhead of frequently changing the wireless network password. Even though if some businesses are willing to take the pain of wireless device re-configuration, social media marketing and personalized greeting message are value added advance features not supported in off-the-shelf gears.

How does Airegis solve it?

Airegis has developed a wireless system which is purposely built to meet expectation of single shop businesses. The product can be used by businesses leverage social media marketing, send automated greeting message to customers on arrival or let them simply enjoy high speed internet and indulge in online activities. Cloud based deployment reduce the overall cost of the solution and drastically reduce the deployment time.

Seeing is believing so feel free to send your request on contact@airegis.com for a free product trial.