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

Smoothing mobile broadband peaksAdaptive content optimization in the RANby Scott Hilton, VP and GM, Broadband Optimization Solutions, Sycamore NetworksMobile operators across the globe are struggling with network congestion caused by theunprecedented uptake of mobile broadband. As well as baseline traffic, high demand trafficpeaks have increased significantly and can have a major impact on the radio access network.Adaptive content optimization is a compelling solution, providing an effective mechanismfor relieving traffic congestion and managing the growth of mobile broadband traffic.Scott Hilton is the Vice President and General Manager of the Broadband Optimization Solutions business unit at Sycamore Networks.Before joining Sycamore, Mr Hilton was Vice President of Product Marketing and Management at 3Com Corporation, and prior to3Com, Vice President of Product Management for the IP Services division of Lucent Technologies.Scott Hilton completed a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Duke University and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from George MasonUniversity.In the first half of 2010, the average US mobilesubscriber consumed an average of 230MBof data per month, a rise of 50 per cent overthe previous six months. The increased useof smartphones and mobile broadband hasclearly driven this growth, with 31 per centof the US subscriber base now classified assmartphone users. As improved multimediafunctionality and capabilities are added tosuccessive generations of mobile devices,the stress on existing 3G networks is only setto increase. According to a recent statementfrom Verizon Wireless, their recently launchedDroid X phones use approximately five timesthe data volume of any other device includingthe iPhone. Proof that when consumers havea device that works well for accessing theInternet, watching video and other onlineactivities such as social networking, they willuse it to full effect.Operators are at the forefront of this revolutionin mobile data and are struggling withcompeting forces that will determine the longtermsustainability of their business models.Mobile broadband is their main growth enginetoday, especially in mature markets. But assubscribers flock to mobile broadband servicesand impose increasing bandwidth demands onthe network, costs are escalating much fasterthan revenues. Operators are faced with a toughchoice: continue to add capacity to alleviatecongestion and meet customer experienceexpectations, or, pay dearly later to combat highcustomer churn and market share erosion.The impact of this increased data usage - morecongested networks - is already starting to showand will have an effect upon users everywhere.Caps on 3G data allowances have already beenintroduced by Sprint and more recently AT&T,Verizon has already hinted at data caps for theirLTE network, and other operators are expectedto roll out similar schemes. Unlimited 3G datadownload packages may soon be relegated tohistory. As capacity and performance pressuresbuild on the network, business and consumerusers who rely on mobile broadband arelikely to experience further restrictions on use,inconsistent Internet connections and slowdownloads or delayed interaction.The mobile broadband dilemma and RANcongestionNowhere is the mobile broadband dilemmamore challenging, or congestion more acute,than in the cost-sensitive Radio Access Network(RAN), which provides connectivity betweenthe radio base stations (Node Bs in HighSpeed Packet Access (HSPA) networks) andRadio Network Controller (RNC) hub sitesaggregating and processing mobile traffic.As Internet video drives exponential trafficgrowth and rapidly changing traffic patternscomplicate network dimensioning rules, mobileoperators face a number of critical networkissues in the RAN that impact both capital andoperational expenses. These include:• the need to rapidly upgrade backhaulconnection speeds to avoid trafficbottlenecks;• the timing of network equipmentupgrades and investment;• the fact that capacity planning isbecoming increasingly reactive;• the impact of poor network performanceon customer satisfaction and churn.The ideal solution for this high-cost portion ofthe network must address the service deliveryeconomics while adapting to location, networkloads, and the traffic mix.Backhaul capacity upgrades: is this enough?One clear choice for mobile operators tosolve the congestion crunch in this portion of34 • North America 2010