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DATA OFFLOAD SURVIVAL GUIDE, A PHASED APPROACH -

SIMPLE OFFLOAD FOR PHASE 1

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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

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

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.

Overview - 01WHITEPAPER

Are You Ready for Offload? - 02WHITEPAPER

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.

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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.

Are You Ready for Offload? - 03

Are You Ready for Offload? - 04WHITEPAPER

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.

Are You Ready for Offload? - 05WHITEPAPER

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.

Are You Ready for Offload? - 06WHITEPAPER

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.

How to Simple Offload in Phase 1 - 07WHITEPAPER

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?

How to Simple Offload in Phase 1 - 08WHITEPAPER

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.

Figure 1 : Greenpacket Simple Offload

Without Smart Wi-Fi Offload Smart Wi-Fi Offload

3G (On)

Wi-Fi (Off)

Connection inaccessible.Please enter security key.

Wi-Fi (On)

SMODEis in HOTSPOTREADY MODE.Click here to findmore informationon the hotspots.

SMODEhas connectedyou to a hotspot.SMODE is inCONNECTEDMODE.

You are outof hotspot area.Please turnOFF Wi-Fito save battery!

Policy Zone

3GWi-Fi RangeWi-Fi3G

How to Simple Offload in Phase 1 - 09WHITEPAPER

Figure 2 : Simple Offload transparent device and network analytics

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.

Simple Offload Client

Network Analysis Dashboard

Analytic Reporting Server

Offload Industry Hot Picks - 10WHITEPAPER

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.

Offload Industry Hot Picks - 11WHITEPAPER

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.

Conclusion - 12WHITEPAPER

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.

Unlock Opportunities with Simple Offload - 13WHITEPAPER

Unlock Opportunities withSimple 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.

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