As the workforce becomes wireless so does the ... - Connect-World

The 4G LTE futuremobile devices and services. In fact, consumersand enterprises report a notable willingness toswitch operators in order to obtain such newservices. In the European countries surveyed,51 per cent of consumers and almost 80 percent of medium to large enterprises said theywould sign up for 4G LTE service to enjoy thebenefits of this technology innovation.Wireless network goes IPOne technological change inherited fromthe wireline/Ethernet world is at the heartof current cellular networks evolution:Internet Protocol (IP). Today’s 2G and 3Gnetworks - to a large extent - are primed totransition and implement IP technology.But LTE (Long Term Evolution), as the4th Generation of the evolution of cellularnetworks, is natively built on IP architectureand extends network transformation andcapabilities substantially further than theprevious generation of networks.4G LTE is sure to bring dramaticimprovements to the subscribers’ mobilebroadband experience thanks to higher dataspeeds and lower latency. 4G LTE is threetimes more spectrally efficient than 3G. 4GLTE boasts technological innovations such asOrthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing(OFDM) and Multiple Input, Multiple Output(MIMO). When coupled with an all-IP endto-endconnection between devices and thenetwork application servers (or between thedevices), with each and every equipmentusing IP, these innovations significantly boostnetwork efficiency.Besides providing the user with increasedspeeds more than 10 times faster than 3G,one of the key attributes redefining the LTEuser experience is the lower latency. Withthree to five times better responsivenesswhen compared to 3G, bringing the wirelessexperience closer to the wired broadbanddesktop experience enables real-timeapplications like voice, video, and gaming tobe delivered to the mass market over a purewireless IP network.As a result, LTE promises to support thesame kind of rich, broadband multimediaservices (such as high-definition video, music,multiplayer video gaming) that people havecome to expect at home, delivered whereverthey are, any time of the day. In addition, LTE’smassive bandwidth and real-time capabilitiesoffer the prospect of delivering a wide arrayof new services that haven’t yet been defined.Think about, for example, the introduction offixed broadband and how it spurred the growthof the web and the myriad services that havebecome available over the past decade.New business model opportunities for serviceprovidersChanges in users’ behaviour and technologyinnovations open tremendous opportunitiesand perspectives for service providers.Opportunities to better serve their customersand increase their competitiveness, while at thesame time exploring new business models andgetting new revenue streams from untappeduser demand.Examples of new business models enabledby 4G LTE broadband wireless are multiple.Early LTE adopters will be younger, moreaffluent and more open to advertising-subsidymodels. This is a new and immediate source ofrevenue for operators, at almost no cost. Lowersubscription prices would attract more usersand in turn generate more data traffic, whileadvertising companies would find a new mediafor their targeted campaigns.Another example illustrating the huge potentialof 4G is the ngConnect Programme’s ‘LTEConnected Car’, a solution concept that drivesan innovative ecosystem of devices, applicationsand content. The concept has a strong appealamong the under-35 age group, with Internetconnectivity perceived as highly desirable.Along with always-on connection to the Internet,it offers an array of entertainment, traffic,navigation, car maintenance and safety features.Machine-to-Machine (M2M) is another keysegment that is growing rapidly. Althoughit does not require a lot of bandwidth, it canstrain the network because of the scale ofthe connections which run into millions in asmall coverage area. LTE will support thisdemand more efficiently. Recent researchfrom Technology Business Research Inc.showed that the volume of M2M connectionswill grow to more than 55 billion devices inthis decade.Seizing such business opportunities also meansaddressing challenges for operators. To playthe game, service providers require severalassets. First, they need a high bandwidth,scalable and cost-effective intelligentnetwork with a high quality of experience(QoE). LTE’s advanced capabilities are set todeliver on that even if implementations differfrom one vendor to another. Second, theyneed ‘application enablers’ to monetize thebroadband data explosion. Only by combiningthe trusted capabilities of their networks withthe speed and innovation of the web, willoperators give end-users and enterprises whatthey demand: a richer and more trusted webexperience. In this area, relying on an industrypartner with experience in both wireless andIP multi-media solutions is vital. Finally, andthis is a recurrent concern for operators, theyneed to mitigate risk of business and networktransformations. Few mobile service providersare familiar with wireline networks and the IPtransformation they experienced in the pastdecade. They need the help of a trusted partner.Business transformation for enterprisesFor many businesses over much of the worldincluding verticals, broadband services arebecoming a necessity - an indispensablefeature of our daily lives that extends wellbeyond the simple connectivity that today’snetworks have provided. In light of this everincreasingdemand for data, the need for amobile solution to bridge the connectivitygap between home and office has become animportant market driver.A recent study by Alcatel-Lucent in NorthAmerica shows that messaging comes asthe first wireless activity that will increasedramatically (87 per cent of respondents),followed by download/view of documents(67 per cent) and access to Internet/Intranet(60 per cent) and video activities (59 percent). Among eight typical applicationsspanning Group Video Calling, LocationbasedProject Updates, Mobile BroadbandFile Sharing, Video Calling, NavigationHelper, Presence Contact List, MobileCollaboration Tools and Priority of CriticalApplications, respondents said they woulduse them daily with mobile broadband filesharing coming first on the list. Enterpriseswith over US$1 million in revenue andmore than ten full time employees are themost likely to endorse such 4G applications.As a proof-point of 4G attractiveness,the majority of enterprises (74 per cent)responded they would definitely or probablysign up for 4G service.4G LTE: a huge potential and a revolution toour lifestyleIn a fast-changing world with ever-increasingcompetitiveness, 4G LTE is set to unlocknew business opportunities for both serviceproviders and enterprises alike. It’s up to themto get ready to leverage the huge potentialthis technology offers in terms of businessefficiency and revenue streams. 4G LTEpromises to redefine the user experience andthe way we communicate. It will revolutionizeour lifestyle. •18 • North America 2010